


B O U N D

by Chaos1



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Captivity, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Kidnapping, M/M, Mind Control, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Rape/Non-con Elements, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-06-09 20:20:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 18
Words: 68,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15275421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaos1/pseuds/Chaos1
Summary: Tony and Loki are imprisoned by a set of creatures called Breeders, who are hired to create hybrid lifeforms, using any means necessary to achieve their goal. To get through this, they will need to work together to find a way out.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set after the first Avengers, just a few days the battle of New York.
> 
> I'm not sure why but I couldn't get this fic out of my head, so here we are. Hope you like it.

 

The creatures were almost invisible to the human eye, yet they held a shimmer around themselves that even a human being would have caught.

 

That should have been his first warning.

 

But to an exhausted billionaire who had just been up all night with less than three hours of sleep, this was easily missed.

 

When they attacked, Tony had been about to doze off into a deep sleep, the effects of the caffeine having finally worn off on him.

 

 _What are you?_ He thought, startled and groggily annoyed. For a second, he thought they were just a figment of his imagination. But nothing could have held him down the way these creatures had.

 

They were fast and took him by surprise, giving him no time to call for help.

 

_“Jarvis-!”_

 

That was as far as he could go before they gagged him, smothering him to the ground. He kicked and screamed, biting into the gag until he felt a sharp prick on his neck. As soon as he realized what it was, Tony knew it was too late. He felt his body sag and go limp, his mind the only thing screaming to fight.

 

His captors glimmered like a shimmering hologram before him and he glared up at them.

 

_Jarv, buddy, you’re my only hope now!_

 

“Sir, I detect a foreign substance administered to your blood. The Avengers have been notified of this and have been called to help you now. Please stand by. Protocol Hostile initiating now."

 

_Good boy!_

 

Tony internally smirked as he heard Jarvis say the last words. He had expected intruders in his home more times than he can count - especially after the incident with the Chitauri army, it was only normal that he had something like this up his sleeve. He just enhanced it a bit more.

 

Still, this did make him wonder how the creatures were able to get into his security systems undetected though in the first place. But he'll be able to find that out later - once he caught them, which the Protocol will do for him.

 

 

Suddenly, there was a high pitched noise as Tony heard it first hand. He wished he could move his hands to shut it out, trying desperately to move them but he failed. The sound was frightening, the kind you would never like to hear again. It was as if something was being hideously murdered. 

 

All the lights went out as Tony felt the piercing shriek fade abruptly as it started.  _What the fuck just happened?_

 

"All systems failure, Protocol Hostile delayed. Restoration in 50 minutes." Jarvis's voice sounded, and Tony felt it sink in with dread.

 

The creatures had just single-handedly hacked into his system.

 

 _What are you?_ Tony thought with growing anger. Panic was there too, but he wasn’t too sure what do with it yet. He had banked on Jarvis helping him out here, and the fact that his kidnapping wasn't going to be stalled slowly started to sink in now.

 

 _Jarvis called the team,_ Tony reminded himself as he felt his body being hoisted up roughly within the creature's claws. He could smell a sick scent of lavender from the creatures, which made him unnerved. He tried again to move his body, and he felt his finger twitch in response, but everything else was immobilized.

 

His vision focused as he saw the creatures bring him closer towards some sort of capsule. It was an oval shaped prison, containing a liquid substance that shimmered inside of its contents. If he wasn't about to be dumped into it, Tony would have been pretty fascinated it.

 

His eyes widened, that sense of panic now flushing through him. Desperate, he tried to move his body again, failing miserably. But he tried again, even as the capsule drew nearer.

 

_Once I go in, I'll never get out! I can't---_

 

Tony could make no sound as he saw the capsules doors slither open and the claws pushed his paralyzed body inside. The liquid was cold, chilling as he felt it embrace him. A silent scream echoed within him as the doors to the capsule sealed over him with a hiss and his body was submerged fully. 

 

Tony wanted more than ever to escape and punch his way out of this mess, but his body did nothing. He floated like a stone as his insides filled from his nose, overtaking him as it washed down his throat. Tony coughed, his body finally responding as his natural reflexes kicked in but he was unable to resist the overpowering liquid as he swallowed it. Soon though, he found that instead of choking on the liquid, he was able to breathe normally and the pain quickly subsided. 

 

As he felt his body stabilize, Tony saw the shimmer of the Creatures move as the capsule he was trapped in was being relocated.

 

_Why are you here to kidnap me?_

 

Tony watched intensely as the capsule floated and followed the Creatures. He saw them move him into an alien ship, also invisible to the human eye, until he was inside. The surroundings were all dark, and he couldn’t see anything for a moment until Tony found the capsule being inserted into the wall, his captors now nowhere to be found. He heard a sharp hiss as the contraption above his head clipped his capsule into place.

 

Light poured in and Tony blinked, overwhelmed by it until he saw he was in some sort of chamber, surrounded by similar capsules holding other prisoners in place. He was in the air, he realized. The creatures he saw in each of the capsules were strange - some of them looked almost human, others looked alien and bizarre. He didn’t recognize any of them but he pitied them. They were in the same predicament as him - most likely going to the same destination, wherever the hell that was. 

 

_What did I get myself into?_

 

He never got a chance to answer that question as he felt a sudden sense of exhaustion catch up to him.

 

_That’s right, I hadn’t slept for hours…_

 

 _No, this isn’t the right time to sleep, for god’s sake! You need to find a way to escape!_ Tony thought frantically, but he knew without control of his body and the resources around him, he had little chance now.

After all, he was in an alien capsule and paralyzed from head to toe. Maybe the best way for him now was to conserve energy, gain intel once he had more strength and then find a way out of there...

 

Reluctantly, Tony felt himself succumbing to this notion as he fell into a deep sleep.

 

x

 

Unbeknownst to him, a few capsules away, another man slept in a dreamless slumber, the capsule bearing the sign of the Jotun burning brightly on its frame.


	2. Conception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds Loki also trapped in his cell, much to both their annoyance.  
> Intervention can be a bitch, though.
> 
> Be warned: This chapter includes heavy rape, non-con scenes and Mpreg at the end of this. So if you're not into that sort of thing, make sure to skip this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments on my first chapter! It dragged out my inner muse and made me write again, so thank you!

****A clawing sense of hunger overtook him as Tony shot awake.

 

For a moment, Tony couldn’t see anything. His vision was blurred, almost blinding. He felt nausea overtake him as he felt dizzy from moving, which was weird since he probably was out for just a few hours… Was he having one of his self-induced hangovers again?

 

 _Seriously, I really need to stop doing that to myself,_ Tony thought with a sigh until he realized he was able to see again, more clearly than before.

 

Something wasn’t right.

 

Tony turned to take in his surroundings, now becoming aware of the disconnect between his memories. It was coming back to him - the creatures, his kidnapping, the capsule and his body’s induced paralysis. The last memory Tony had was of the creepy set of capsules that lined around him as he fell unconscious.

 

 _Where am I?_ _Am I even on Earth anymore?_

 

The room he was in, if he could call it that, seemed to resemble the human world’s equivalent of a room. All of the walls and floors were white, like the capsule he was trapped in. As Tony got up, slow and unsteadily, the floor seemed to react and glisten. He noticed he was barefoot and looked down to find he was missing his shoes.

 

Some of the walls were fitted with some sort of bathroom and shower, but it looked as if the whole place had been carved out of clay. Everything, from the tables and the bed, to the window frames… it was all fake. He was in some sort of white asylum, with no windows or doors. What was more frustrating was he couldn’t find anything that he thought he could use as a weapon - nothing was real. Even the furniture was hard, as if it had been 3D printed.

 

To top it all off, his stomach grumbled insanely.

 

_How long was I asleep?_

 

Tony realized he wasn’t just plain hungry - he was famished, as if he hadn’t been eating for days. Thirst was also an additional companion to his utmost discomfort. It was all was getting to him, he thought, as his fingers trembled somewhat.

 

_I need to reach those creatures, if I’m going to survive. Or preferably blast them apart, if I had my suits with me, but maybe I’ll first try…_

 

“You’re messing with the wrong man!” Tony yelled at his captors. Yup, maybe he’ll try threatening them first.

 

He hoped they can hear him, because they were not going to get away with what they did to him so easily. His team was probably looking for him right now, scouring the apartment.

 

 _Jarvis would have rebooted all his systems by the time I was taken, he would have had shown them the footage of what happened,_ Tony thought to himself hopefully. He imagined Bruce’s reaction - most likely the big guy would have been semi-entranced and distressed to see that footage. On the other hand, he could also imagine Clint’s reaction once they save him. He probably wasn’t going to see the end of his constant jokes about the “Abduction of Tony Stark by the Little Green Men!”

 

He had no doubt they will most likely find him. But the one doubt that lingered, which he tried not to think too much about, was whether or not they can find him outside of Earth. Sure, they were still recuperating from the events of the New York battle but Fury had many ways. They wouldn’t leave him behind right? After all he’d done for them?

 

He shook his thoughts away, trying not to dwell on that for now.

 

Self-pity was something he was not going to dig up now, of all times.

 

“Do you know who I am? I’m Iron Man! I took down the Chitauri army and Loki! You’re not getting away with this!” Tony shouted into open space again, trying to take his mind off of the constant drag of hunger in the pit of his stomach.

 

“If you let me go now, we might not be so hard on you - My team is looking for me right now and once they find me, you’re going to regret even considering taking me.”

 

Silence was his only answer to his call.

 

Tony let out a frustrated sigh. _Figures._

 

He would have gone back to hatching another brilliant plan of escape, but he caught sight of the bathroom sink and his parched throat begged him to turn the valve. From the outside, it looked so fake but he hoped he was wrong.

 

He turned the valve and to his utmost relief, Tony watched as water rushed out. Without even thinking, he dived in and drank, letting the lukewarm liquid flow down his empty stomach. Once he was sated, Tony used the water to wash himself clean.

 

To his disgust, he found some of the liquid from the capsule still clung around his body and he felt a strong urge to try the shower and see if it worked as well. He wanted to clean off the remnants off of him, but the thought left him as soon as it came when he remembered the creatures, whatever they were, were probably watching him. Observing every move he made.

 

Instead, he resorted to cleaning off the clear liquid that covered parts of his body and his clothes with the water from the sink. Thankfully, he was still wearing his own clothes, a black t-shirt with an AC/DC song, “Highway to Hell” quote on it.

 

Once he was done, Tony went back out into the room, going over the interior and fake furniture once more.

 

_What did these creatures want from me?_

 

Clearly, they wanted him to be semi-comfortable with his confinement. Or so he thought. Was he a hostage?

 

Somehow, in the back of his mind, Tony guessed this kidnapping was related with the events at the battle of New York, which had only been a few days ago. The memory of that battle was still fresh in his mind. Even now, he could still hear the screams of New Yorkers below, the alien creatures sadistic screeching, the crashing and burning of buildings.

 

They say battle can look victorious, but from his experiences, it was far from it. He can still recall the wormhole he’d passed through when he pulled the missile away from the city. That had been the reason why he was awake for hours, trying to keep his mind off of things - in spite of everything, it haunted his dreams. Distracting himself by building more weapons and suits seemed easier and it had been his own way of slowly regaining some sense of control.

 

 _I suppose I should be grateful this isn’t a torture chamber._ Tony thought sarcastically.

 

The thought left little comfort however. If the creatures weren’t after information or torture, then they had other intentions planned for him.

 

But what? Or perhaps they were just biding their time, trying to find his weakness? It definitely looked like they had little interest with his threats or communicating with him so far. Maybe that just meant they didn’t understand his language?

 

That was going to make things tricky if that was the case, since he prided himself in getting out of tight spots with his words. Or rather, by force if needed, since he had his suits now.

 

There was a sudden hiss as Tony turned and found the walls, or what he thought had been walls, parted and revealed another room. Slowly, as if a curtain had been veiled over it, the illusion disappeared.

 

Then Tony saw him.

 

“What the _hell_ are you doing here?” 

 

The sound alerted the man on the other side as he turned. The Asgardian looked at him now and confusion ran across his face for a split second until his face contorted into anger.

 

 _“You.”_ The god snarled with distaste, glaring back at Tony.

 

Tony wished he had access to his suits now. He should have known! It was all Loki’s doing, it must be. The abduction was definitely Loki’s way of revenge, after his team had given full custody over his fate to his brother. And yet the god stood in front of him now, as if nothing had ever happened.

 

Funny thing though, he did notice something that was slightly out of place. The god’s attire, for one thing, seemed more battered than before. The cape was gone and there was some sort of thin collar around his neck that glowed. But then again, Tony didn’t really care what it meant.

 

“I’m asking the questions here,” Tony shot back. He didn’t have time to ask those questions though, when he saw Loki move with inhuman speed and tear out the fake sofa from the wall, throwing it straight at him with an infuriated snarl.

 

With a surprised gasp, Tony ducked, thinking the walls between them had fully disappeared. But the sofa bounced back n an invisible barrier. Sucking in a sigh of relief, Tony looked back at the god again.

 

“I do not answer to you, mortal. They _will_ let me out of this inferior cell. If they have devised tortures for me to endure, then I would be much better off there than be imprisoned in the same cell as you.”

 

 _Overly dramatic, as always…_ Tony thought, rolling his eyes. It was just his luck that he was stuck in the same cell with a diva. Still, the god’s complaints, however funny it sounded, raised a question.

 

“Wait. Hold on. So you’re not the one who put me here?”

 

“Why would I desire to be in the same room as _you?_ ” Loki retorted and then the god started laughing. “I see what this is. It’s one of my father’s tricks! He is punishing me for my so-called crimes on your planet.”

 

“Well, I’m not the one going around killing people and destroying cities! Daddy dearest probably has it out for you. But still doesn’t explain why I’m here, bud.” Tony sat on the sofa, smiling a bit. It was a good thing there was a barrier between them, all things considered. He could relax a little and watch the god squirm in his cell, which surprisingly was calming his nerves a little.

 

“I do not _care!_ ” Loki snarled back, and threw another fake item - a lamp - at the barrier. It shimmed and fell to the ground again, unbroken. Tony watched as Loki turned away and started shouting at the air. Huh, so that’s what he probably looked like when he was doing the same thing only a few minutes ago.

 

“Father, I will get out!” Loki shouted into the ceiling, “Release me now, you foulsome creatures, and I will consider sparing your lives!” Loki’s threats went unheard as silence answered him back. Tony couldn’t help but sigh, which caught the attention of the god.

 

“Been there, done that, Rudolph. They aren’t listening.” Tony got up, tracing his steps back and forth. “Did they give you any food? I’m starving.”

 

As if on cue, the was a sound from behind him and Tony turned to find a plate with some sort of food on top of it. Unrecognizable, alien food, but definitely something offered to him on the table that the captors thought were edible. He blinked - that hadn’t been there before. The god seemed to be watching this intently as well.

 

“They want you fed. Like an animal for slaughter,” Loki stated coldly, and Tony didn’t really know how to answer that.

 

Tony neared the thing on the table; it looked like some sort of meat - it smelled like chicken for one. It didn’t resemble the same colors he was familiar with for chicken legs, but the smell alone was making his mouth water. He peeled off the skin a little and found that it looked cooked. He’ll have to eat it to find out if it was inedible though.

 

He took the purple meat into his fingers and bit into it. Immediately he tasted the juiciness of the meat on his tongue, and before long Tony was biting mouthfuls of it. It didn’t take him long to finish it, in spite of it being a large morsel. The bone, which looked like a burnt piece of stick, was all that was left of it before he set back on the plate again.

 

“God, that feels good…” Tony murmured happily as he sat on the hard surface of the fake sofa, wiping the juice off of his lips with the back of his hand.

 

“Despicable,” Loki remarked back, disgust evident in his tone.

 

“At least they wanted to keep me alive. Can’t say the same for you. How did you get here anyway?”

 

He didn’t get an answer. The god was ignoring him. Fine, well, he was going to ignore back then. He turned around, trying not to watch the god, but the frustrated snarls and messy decorations of the broken up furniture caught his attention. He watched as the room rebuilt itself around Loki, as if it were… alive. Each time Loki broke something, the walls shimmered and the broken pieces submerged into the ground. _That was interesting…_

 

A pained gasp drew him back from his thoughts as he saw Loki stagger back, his hand clawing at the glowing collar around his neck. Tony narrowed his eyes as he saw the runes burn brightly. He felt the floor shake a little as Loki snarled in frustration. From his fingertips, a little bit of a glow was emanating but abruptly fizzled out.

 

“Is that why you can’t use your voodoo magic?”

 

Loki shook his head, as if refusing to acknowledge Tony’s remark. “It will not last long. I have broken bonds before; this will be no exception.”

 

“Well, if you do, let me out with you, won’t you?”

 

The god chuckled in response, “Now why would I want that?”

 

“I can be your bargaining chip. My team is looking for me and I’m pretty sure they won’t be happy to find me with you, cause you kind tried to take over Earth and all. Maybe they’ll let you off lightly if they knew you saved me. Maybe your old man won’t be mad at you anymore. Oh, maybe - this is one of his tests. Maybe you’re _supposed_ to save me!”

 

“Do not get your hopes up, Stark. I have no intention of setting you free once I get my powers back.”

 

 _Rude,_ Tony thought. But really, why was Loki here? It made him wonder. So he was trapped here, in this strange looking room and his cellmate just so happens to be Loki? Clearly someone was having a laugh.

 

“And even if I did save you…” Loki’s voice echoed and Tony saw a smile on his lips that didn’t suggest anything nice. “I have no intention of giving you back to your people. You foiled my plans and I will get my revenge.”

 

“Dream on, you’re not my type.”

 

Loki scoffs at that, “I will never conceive of such a notion.”

 

The room goes quiet as the two look at each other and find the air filled with tension. Tony broke it first.

 

“Did you notice how the room interacts with you when you go through your tantrums?” Tony pointed out. Loki looked at the furniture, which was once more neatly aligned back in its proper place.

 

“Yes, I have noticed. I am not a fool,” Loki snapped back, much to Tony’s annoyance. _Geez, he was only trying to help._

 

“I notice quite a lot of things. They don’t call me a genius for nothing. Maybe I can help you and you can help me out? I know we’re enemies and all, but under these circumstances, we can put some of those differences aside and-“

 

“No.” Loki’s response was abrupt.

 

“Come on, you know you can’t do this alone-“

 

“No, I will not lower myself to the likes of your kind!”

 

Tony faked an offended gasp, “Oh is that what this is all about? I should have known. You’re a racist, that’s what you are.”

 

Loki looked at him and Tony knew he caught the god’s attention now, “A.. what did you just call me?”

 

“A racist. A dictator. I think your brother said you’re not really Asgardian too. I kind of remember him saying you’re a Jo-something.”

 

The room shook as Loki’s eyes turned quite murderous. Tony was hoping that would happen. “Are you trying to anger me, Stark?”

 

The runes on Loki’s collar were swimming around crazily and Tony could see pain in the god’s eyes. But the floors shook and Tony tried to keep his footing. He watched as the walls liquified for a few moments, as if the magic that was coming out of Loki was affecting its shape.

 

“Maybe. Or maybe I’m just telling you the truth you didn’t want to hear.”

 

The room stopped shaking and the god let out a agonized groan as he fell down on one knee, cursing under his breath. Tony couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment. He’d hoped Loki’s magic was strong enough to break them out of there.

 

Strangely enough, seeing Loki in pain made him flinch. He wasn’t a masochist. Never enjoyed people in pain, unless it was during sex, which may be the only time he really would be okay with. So even seeing his enemy, as horrible as he was, made him regret what he’d done. What kind of human being will he be if _he_ stooped down Loki’s level of mentality as well?

 

“You okay?”

 

Loki choked out a hoarse laughter in response. “All of a sudden, you care for my well being now, little man?”

 

“Yeah, that’s how a decent person acts when they’ve gone too far.”

 

Eyes locked onto each other and Tony can see a bit of conflict rising in those green eyes. He’d never noticed them before. They were deep green, like emeralds uncovered from the depths. He would have almost called it beautiful if he hadn’t known it was Loki’s eyes.

 

“I find it highly ironic, especially coming from you, Stark. You are no innocent. Like all the others in your team, your hands have created weapons that kill the innocent. What gives _you_ the authority, the right, to judge whether my actions are right or wrong?”

 

“I don’t.” Loki never took his eyes off of him. Tony noticed the man was crouching in pain now, which made him somewhat relaxed.

 

“But you know we’re going to need to work together if we’re getting out of here, Loki. And if that means being civil, even towards you, then I’ll try it.”

 

“I never agreed to get you out,” the god remarked.

 

“Yeah, well, you’ll change your mind.”

 

“Oh, is that so?” Loki seemed genuinely amused by Tony’s comment. “Pray tell, how will you seduce your way into my heart, I wonder?”

 

“I’m working on it.”

 

“I need nothing from you, Stark. You are merely a stepping stone towards my inevitable escape. Do not get in my way if you value your life.”

 

“Mm, yeah, whatever you say, big shot,” Tony answered back with disinterest, the threat sounding light compared to the one they were stuck now. For one, he could tell Loki’s powers were quite limited. Maybe if he was able to take that off, he could strike a deal with the god and get out of here…

 

A sharp, fizzing sound brought his attention back to the present. He looked at where it was coming from and noticed smoke coming from the ground. Both men jolted away from the smoke.

 

“What the-“

 

Tony looked at it - the smoke was making his eyes water at the thick smell it gave off. What the hell was going on?

 

“Don’t breath it in!” Loki’s voice echoed from the other end and Tony could see it was completely engulfing them both. He could barely see him until he was gone in the shade of grey.

 

But the smoke engulfed them both, obscuring them in its fog.

 

x

 

Loki knew he had inhaled some of it already. The smoke was rushing into his body, infiltrating him. He can feel the effects of it creeping into his system, taking away his rational thoughts.

 

_I cannot let it control me, cannot give them the power. Cannot… cannot… I will not…_

 

“Loki, what’s going on?” The voice behind the fog shouted.

 

 _I understand now._ Horror, disgust, anger all mixed into one single thought as Loki knew what was going to happen now. And he wished, for a second, that he could spare the human from the pain. He knew what was coming… But there was no stopping it now…

 

The former Loki, the logical Loki, the conscious Loki… he now heard it only as a mere, incoherent echo.

 

Quickly, the smoke took over what little will he had left.

 

The god stood where he was, his body feeling one core desire.

 

His simplified mind was like a beast and hunger took a hold of it. It craved to sink into flesh and to spread itself into multitudes.

 

It needed… to mate.

 

And the other creature behind the veil of smoke was its cure.

 

Loki - or what was left of Loki - rushed into the shimmering wall. The barrier shimmered away and he stepped into the other creature’s domain.

 

It couldn’t see the male behind the smoke and he inhaled. He could smell the creature’s scent and the pheromones of the foreign creature - it was not Asgardian, but it responded with a purr of approval to it nonetheless. It was… pleasing.

 

The beast wearing Loki’s face saw the outline of its prey as the smoke dissipated at last.

 

x

 

“Loki?” Tony questioned as he caught sight of the god, the tone of his voice uncertain. The smoke, thankfully, was dissipating quickly.

 

Loki did not respond. He stared at Tony absently and this scared him. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

 

“Talk to me - what’s happening?”

 

Tony saw the Asgardian move, too fast for the human eye to catch and suddenly he was being pushed into the wall painfully.

 

He cried out in surprise. He could feel an iron grip wrap around his neck, and when he moved to attack Loki, both wrists were caught and slammed above his head. He felt a sudden sense of panic as he heard an animalistic growl leave Loki’s lips. He saw Loki’s eyes and they were misty - it no longer held the green colors he saw earlier.

 

“What- Stop! What are you doing? Get off me!”

 

Loki’s hot breath tickled his neck as Tony flinched at the cold laughter that echoed in response to him.

 

Loki was so close - too close - rubbing into him. His breath hitched as he felt the god’s erection on him and the sense of panic became that of dread.

 

_Fuck-_

 

Tony kicked and squirmed in Loki’s grip, but this only made Loki’s grip stronger. He was smothered by the god, and felt the man’s knees slipping between legs, straddling him to the wall.

 

“Fuck, stop! What’s wrong with you?”

 

Loki took his protests away by claiming his lips roughly, trapping them. Tony’s eyes widened in shock, temporarily stunned. But soon the sense of wrongness quickly kicked in and he writhed within Loki’s hold.

 

_The smoke, what was in it?_

 

Tony gasped as he felt Loki release him from the kiss, gagging. Loki did not pay heed as he threw Tony to the ground with an almost irritated shove. Tony tried to get up, but Loki was not done with him yet.

 

Before he could even regain his composure, Loki was on top of him. Hands slid around him firmly around unwanted areas as Tony gave out an angry shout. “Stop it!”

 

His protests went unheard as Loki’s hands ripped into his clothes, forcing them off. Tony tried to push the god away as hard as he can, but he was no match against the god’s strength. He was left with nothing as the last of his clothes were stripped from him.

 

Fear and panic overtook him and he could hear his breath frantically, his heartbeat drumming madly as the situation quickly sank in.

 

“Loki, stop!”

 

But there was no trace of humanity in those eyes. Tony couldn’t seem any sympathy or regret, merely hunger. Tony felt utterly exposed in the man’s gaze.

 

The creature that Loki had become smiled down at him.

 

Yes, the beast thought, looking down at the flesh he saw displayed before him. It could smell the anticipation, his pulse quickening. It justified its action with only one motive.

 

_Mate._

 

It desired only one thing now, and it was to create a child between the male beneath him. It told the body to take ahold of its prey and move forward with its plan for violence.

 

_Take what is yours. Sink yourself into your mate._

 

The creature’s needs were basic; it was designed to do whatever it took to implant its seed within his victim.

 

“Please… please don’t do this…”

 

It stripped itself of its clothes, a nuisance now as he ripped them off. It took no heed of the man’s pleas as the creature took a hold of the man.

 

x

 

There was little to say of his pride now. He didn’t even care anymore.

 

The god he was looking up at was a monster. He didn’t see any remorse - nothing humane that he could reach out to. And yet he couldn’t help but try, begging beneath Loki.

 

“Wake up, Loki! Don’t do this, please!”

 

His cry for help went unheard however as the monster took a hold of his wrists and forced him into a position that made him look like he was crouching on the ground. He noticed with increasing fear as the floor seemed to shimmer. With a pained gasp, he felt restraints clamp over his wrists and his ankles as he was trapped, taking away what little hope of escape he had.

 

_No, no, this wasn’t happening!_

 

Tony tried, one last time, one last plea on his lips. He couldn’t see him, but he hoped. “Loki, please…”

 

The only answer he got was a guttural growl as he felt intrusive hands grip his hips, and then he felt them spread his legs and buttocks. There was nothing Tony could do to prepare himself for the moment as he felt the tip of the god’s dick tease his exposed hole as if he were playing with him.

 

“Stop!”

 

Pain like nothing he ever felt drove into him, and he he couldn’t help but scream as his insides stretched to accommodate an intrusion that dug into him.

 

Tony felt as if he was being split apart and his hands shook uncontrollably, trying desperately to grab onto something. The clamps around his wrist prevented that and he could only gasp and slam his palms onto the floor as he heard, to Tony’s disgust, the god behind him exhale a long, lustful breath.

 

Anger and despair rose in him tenfold as Tony tried not to cry. He wasn’t going to show the bastard any emotion!

 

_My first time… with a monster…_

 

In spite of his reputation, he had always been a playboy - he’d never slept with anyone except the opposite sex. The thought that his first time with a man, or if this creature behind him could even be called that, was with Loki and the fact that he was about to be raped was more than he could handle. He screamed helplessly in anger, shaking with it.

 

Tony writhed beneath Loki, his body and soul trying to escape but finding no way out.

 

The length drove in deeper, inch by inch, and Tony gasped each time the god above him pushed further and further in. _No, ah, I can’t- it won’t fit-_

 

 _“No…”_ Tony choked through the pain, rasping out the words. As he did, he feel the god finally seat himself fully into his ass.

 

For a moment, there was no movement as Tony felt his sweat pour down his forehead. He breathed in and out erratically, his mind still now able to register the whole ordeal. He felt the god stroking his back, like some animal, as if it were reassuring him for what was to come.

 

_Fuck, don’t touch me._

 

The intrusion resided inside of him for a moment without any movement and for a few seconds, Tony felt utterly helpless, bound and trapped with the god’s cock sitting inside of his ass.

 

_What was he reduced into?_

 

When Loki started to shift, Tony felt the burn. It made him gasp in pain, his eyes widening. The god made no attempt to stop as Tony felt his ass being pushed down and the god started to thrust inside of him. Tony couldn’t think rationally anymore. It was as if his whole body was suddenly made out of glass and someone was stepping over him, leaving cracks and million pieces of himself to break and break and _break..._

 

His mind tried desperately to displace him from reality, attempting to return him back to the Stark Tower, his team, Pepper, Rhodes, his suits - anything to get his mind off of the agony that stretched him apart.

 

x

 

The god grabbed a hold of his hips as he rocked back and forth, penetrating the human with each thrust of his own hips.

 

The creature was content - it will give this human an offspring, his child. He leaned a little closer to his chest, glistening with sweat. He could smell the creature’s pheromones, enjoying his mate’s scent and he smeared his own on the human’s back. It was possessive and it knew that this trait was from its original carrier - he was a jealous one, this Asgardian vagabond.

 

The god continued with the assault, panting, feeling the euphoria. Every stroke was bringing the creature one step closer to its purpose.

 

Quickly Tony’s screams slowly started to dissipate into mere sobs and chokes. But after a while, even his cries became silent. _He was so tired…_

 

He felt something warm trickle down his legs and he realized it was probably his blood. The sick sound of flesh pounding on flesh continued for what seemed like an eternity.

 

 _Why?_ Tony thought absently. The tears, the pain. It all seemed far off now.

 

A part of him felt as if he were having an out of body experience as his other self stared down at his own body from a whole different direction. He saw himself being pumped back and forth by the naked Loki, eyes glowing bright gold as if the god had no irises from the start.

 

The world seemed to vibrate with each slow intake of Loki’s breath, the way Tony’s body accommodated the the cock.

 

_This was worse then death._

 

_Why was Loki doing this to him?_

 

The monster straddling Tony thrust in one more time. He felt numb on the inside but he felt Loki spasming, a cry of ecstasy leaving his lips. Spurts of sudden hotness settle inside of him as he realized Loki had finally finished inside of him.

 

The strokes ceased with this final movement.

 

With this, the clamps vanished and Tony fell unceremoniously onto the ground. The only thing holding him in place was the god’s arms, wrapped around him.

 

_Get it out… get out! GET OUT!_

 

Tony, with what little strength he had left, tried pushing Loki away from him.

 

x

 

A growl left the god as he disapproved of his mate’s actions - he was being pushed out.

 

He took this offense by countering it with a invigorated push, embedding his place inside of Tony. The human, finally powerless and exhausted to attempt anything else, submitted to him, going absolutely limp in the god’s grip.

 

The god wrapped its arms around his mate, its cock still inside of him.

 

With extra care, he lay them both on the ground, curling his legs around his mate’s body.

 

_After all, he could not have any other soul take what was rightfully his while their baby was being created._

 

Mine.

 

A voice, the beast still, knew that by leaving himself inside of his mate, there was no way the conception will become a miscarriage.

 

The biology of a Frost Giant was a violent one - the beast knew this animal instinct. In history, the female will rarely bow down to its mate without a fight. The male with the best survival skills usually received its reward by taking the female by force. It was on rare occasions that the female would usually let her other counterpart live. The female would usually have to endure hours entrapped with the male’s member inside of her until the semen administered into her fully reached her eggs and impregnated her.

 

_This… was no different._

 

The beast wrapped its arms around Tony and sniffed. It realized that Tony had blacked out, most likely by the final force he had been inflicted upon him.

 

From the perspective of a stranger, or perhaps an exhibitor that had paid for this performance through the mirrored glass, it was as if Loki was coddling a toy.

 

The god soon fell into a deep sleep as well, sated.

 

_Its work here was done._

 

-

 

Behind the veil, the creatures who were simply named for their expertise - the Breeders - watched this display of conception with intrigue.

 

True, they have seen many scenes of lovemaking. It had forced many a creature to mate and take its prey. To them, it was nothing more than biology, and it was the price for this conceptions that attracted them to continue with their work.

 

They had created the strangest accumulation of infants for their large clientele.

 

But what they were curious to find was the amount of payment they had received for these particular specimens to meet and mate.

 

It had not been easy to locate the God of Mischief and seize him. Yet not impossible. And the human - what was so special about this creature? Their client gave them little information except to say that this human and the genes it carried would be valuable in the future.

 

Of course, most clients procured their services to humiliate their enemies. The birth of an infant created in such a fashion as this was usually considered a disgrace in many universes, unless it was customary.

 

The excitement of a new breed enticed the Breeders as they watched their prisoners sleep. It had been a while since they had received such a new request.

 

And they were ordered to give their specimens the utmost care.

 

“The mortal lives,” one of the Breeders communicated, and the creatures - four in total that oversaw the conception - murmured. The client had hoped that they did, so it was a success.

 

“What were its client’s next wishes?”

 

A logo appeared on the screen next to the vision of the two specimens, with alien runes written all over it. “Circulation.”

 

 _“Ah,”_ they cooed, as they turned to look down at the pair.

 

They watched as the Asgardian’s glamor slowly faded, revealing the inner blue of his skin. The arms wrapped around the human’s body morphed and fingers turned to claws.

 

“Make sure the mortal is entrapped. The Jotun semen will need time to fester in the human’s body. Taken away from the source any less than 3 hours, and the sperm will die.”

 

As if on cue, the ground started to move and the two specimens were cocooned around it, the floor molding around their forms. Even if the specimens were to release each other, the Breeders knew this would surely prevent it.

 

There was a bleep and the creatures turned to see the last of the recording end. One of the Creatures, slightly taller and bigger than the rest, motioned towards the contraption above their heads.

 

“Send this to the client… We shall get our first payment tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the switch on POV with the beast!Loki and Tony, I wanted to kind of go back and forth on their mindsets but ended up just cutting it up into pieces.


	3. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is no handling something when there's no turning back.
> 
> Be warned: This chapter still includes scene of rape, non-con scenes and Mpreg. I'm guessing since you've read this far, you're okay with it, but just in case I'm informing you not to keep reading if it's not your cup of tea.

****Tony opened his eyes slowly, his body feeling like a thousand knives had been plunged into him. The memory of his last waking moments haunted his every senses as he slowly came to.

 

Still groggy and sluggish in his movements, Tony tried to get up but couldn’t. His moment of confusion turned to panic as he realized what was trapping him on the ground.

 

Loki’s arms were wrapped around his naked waist, and his ass was still impaled on the god’s cock. He felt his breath hitching, his pain turning to fear as his thoughts traveled to one single motive.

 

_Get out, get out, get out!_

 

With a terrified cry, Tony pushed himself off of Loki and the uncomfortable intrusion that had been inside of him for god knows how long slipped out of him with a sick slurp. Tony crawled away from the god, who he saw was knocked unconscious as well. With a sob, he rolled into a fetal position, the pain in his ass and the bruises around his body settling over him full force.

 

He was raped.

 

_By Loki._

 

And he had let it happen.

 

Tony turned again, barely, to see if the god was still asleep. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled nervously but he knew that he was safe… for now.

 

_It hurt so much… god, it hurt._

 

Tony didn’t notice the shuffling, so lost in his thoughts. But when he felt something grab him, he jerked back and flinched. He closed his eyes, afraid of the assault and he struggled against them. He couldn’t see them and he realized it was the creatures that had first stolen him away and put him in the same cell with this god…

 

“No…” Tony started but he was just exhausted. He didn’t fight so much when he realized the creatures were lifting him off the ground and away from Loki.

 

He trembled in their grip, the trauma of his experience still fresh in his mind.

 

_They’re taking me away from him._

 

_Where?_

 

A small part of him was almost relieved to be taken away from that godforsaken room and away from Loki who had just violated him. But he knew the creatures had nothing pleasant waiting for him.

 

Coldness brought him back to the present as he was placed on some sort of examination table.

 

Panic kicked in quickly and Tony tried to get up, but something strong pushed him down. He felt a sting around the back of his neck and immediately his body was not his to control anymore.

 

“S-stop…” Tony heard himself slurring and was muted promptly.

 

Only his eyes were able to move and blink. _Like last time._

 

The creatures were swift as they bind Tony to the table, which felt like ice underneath him. Tony felt his body shiver uncontrollably.

 

With wide, terrified eyes, Tony did his best to assess any advantage he might have in this situation. What he caught sight of would have been something from his nightmares.

 

The creatures, finally visible to him, were despicable looking creatures, with tentacles for a face. Its head was connected to a human-like body but covered in scales. Claws grew from its hands and it supported its grotesque body with a thousand more tentacles. It was as if he was staring at a deformed version of Ursula from the Little Mermaid.

 

_Why were they doing this to him?_

 

_What were they? And what did they want?_

 

_Why me?_

 

The questions whirled within his mind, left unanswered.

 

Tony noticed something move from the corner of his eye and then he watched as a large alien eyeball hovered above him like some sort of sick moon, blackened pupils flicking back at forth. The gaze was absolutely frightening, as if it were peering into something more than his physical body. It continued to stare at him.

 

 _This wasn’t happening- it’s got to be some sick nightmare induced by Loki, has to be-_ His mind tried to reason with him. Tony really wanted to believe it. He wanted to convince himself of it. But reality was nothing less than kind.

 

 _Stop, don’t touch me!_ Tony screamed silently as his captors converged around him.

 

He watched as one creature pulled out some sort of round stick. It glowed white, lighting up and then darkening.

 

Tony felt his legs being forced wide open for the second time and fear stabbed at him, crashing down once more as he struggled in vain to free himself. _These bastards were going to put that thing inside of him!_

 

He felt the tip of the glowing object and then Tony felt a pained gasp escape him as the thing slipped through his entrance, sliding right in as if it were alive and had a mind of its own.

 

The sensation of being full again and having been intruded more than once caused Tony to scream. The pupils in his eyes widened tenfold, and he felt his breath hitching as the muscles around the object expanded. It forced its way deeper, digging further, regardless of Tony’s escalating sobs.

 

And what was worse, everything he felt now reminded him of Loki. The cool breath around the nape of his back as the god found his release, the smell of sweat and sex that had permeated during and after the act, the vice-like grip around his arms and hips, leaving him compromised on the floor as if he were some whore begging to be fucked…

 

 _I am going to kill you. All of you,_ Tony vowed silently, repeating it like a mantra.

 

He saw a flickering light and Tony barely followed it with a stable mind. He saw that the large eye hovering above him was projecting something above his stomach.

 

Tony realized without hesitation that it was showing his body’s inner organs. Through the overwhelming pain, Tony forced himself to look at it and saw to his mounting horror that he had the similar makings of a woman’s body as well as a male’s.

 

He’d been genetically modified to be susceptible to pregnancy.

 

_That’s not possible, it was all a trick!_

 

Tony felt himself go cold. _When had they had the time to do this to him?_

 

But the thought was quickly replaced with an even morbid realization as the revelation hit home.

 

His eyes traced the bright blip where the womb now resided inside of his hybridized body. It was a small speck, but Tony could guess what it was the creatures were most likely after.

 

_It was a baby._

 

The scientist in him would have been amazed by the development. It had been only mere moments ago since its conception, and yet already it had grown as large as a small golf ball.

 

The very thought overwhelmed him and even his pain was temporarily numbed. He could only look at it now with wide eyes. Then he felt pure disgust as he realized what this meant.

 

_He was carrying the baby of his rapist._

 

Tony felt the intrusion slip out of him without warning, and his paralysis was the only reason why he didn’t spasm.

 

The projection disappeared and he heard the creatures make a sound that Tony could sense was triumph. It made him sick, but he couldn’t move. He was at their mercy when the creatures started to ‘clean’ him.

 

Liquid was smeared over him and Tony endured it all as his body was washed, the blood clotting around his anus thoroughly cleansed. He closed his eyes as he felt needles poking into him, and then as if by magic, feeling the pain of his abuse sizzle away.

 

The last memory before sleep came was the searing image of the living fetus in his womb, growing inside of him.

 

-

 

They had brought Tony Stark back into their cell.

 

Loki had watched the creatures as they left the human’s unconscious body on the bed and left the room.

 

When he had woken up, Loki had found himself utterly naked and covered in red blood. And yet he had felt no pain from injury. It was confusing at first until the memory of what happened came back to him like a surging wave.

 

_STOP!_

 

_He pushed into Stark as his iron grip held the struggling, panting man in place. Pumping deeper and deeper to get to his sole purpose…_

 

Loki was horrified to realize the blood was Stark’s, not his.

 

The thought brought down a terrible sense of guilt like nothing he had ever felt before. Even when he had done some horrible wrongs, Loki hadn’t looked back at them with such remorse. _What have I done?_

 

_It was unforgivable._

 

With a roar, Loki tried to attack the creatures when they brought the man back, but they slithered away so quickly he found himself banging on empty walls. With an infuriated snarl, Loki turned now to look at the mortal.

 

 _Don’t go near him,_ a voice echoed inside of him. _You are the one who did this to him._

 

Loki did not step forward immediately. Instead, he starred at the mortal, watched his steady breathing.

 

 _You will hurt him again,_ the voice continued to warn him, but Loki shook his head.

 

_I need… to know if he is alright._

 

Loki forced himself to go closer to Tony and using the limited amount of magic he had through the collar, he scanned Tony’s body for any injuries. There was no visible injuries and Loki realized they had healed him while he had been unconscious. But he could see the scars he had left behind, sealed as they were. Lines of scratches traced all over Tony’s back, his neck, his hips… and most prominently around his buttocks.

 

The memory of blood trickling down Tony’s legs was all too clear in Loki’s mind and he could feel his resolve crack.

 

_He had done this to the man._

 

 _It wasn’t you,_ the voice reasoned, returning as if it were some moral compass trying to reason with him.

 

 _No amount of excuses could possibly release me from this guilt,_ Loki thought and the thought submerged into nothing as a vivid memory of his past came back to him, haunting him.

 

Loki knew rape. He knew it all too well.

 

After he fell through the chasm, he was found by the Chitauri. And their master, the one they called ‘The Other’, had taken him under their wing. But really, that was putting it lightly.

 

Every day and night, they tormented him, trying to tame him to be their dog. And they used the most vile, cruelest methods of torture to get him to obey them. But he wasn’t about the succumb to scum like them.

 

The Other, whose name Loki remembered so clearly - Ashrat - had forced him to bow to their will with one simple command. As soon as it was given, his soldiers converged on him.

 

Loki Laufeyson, the fallen prince of Asgard, was to treat them all.

 

The first time the collective had raped him, he had thought death was close. Laughter was their brutal punishment. Ashrat made sure Loki would never forget it. It was the first time anyone had penetrated him unwillingly, completely stripped him down to a submitting slave.

 

And yet, even through all that pain, Loki was not won over all the way. He endured.

 

In a way, it had made Loki stronger. He had been such a weak prince, relying on his strength with magic.

 

They came back for him after his failed attempt to take over Midgard, stealing him away from Asgard’s prison and into their own cell. Ashrat was clearly displeased. Loki couldn’t help but laugh at him and spit into that face.

 

The bonds that had trapped him in his cell held for three days. They continued with their tortures, calling him names as the remaining lives of the Chitauri soldiers drove their curved and hideous appendages inside.

 

It took three days, but Loki had found his strength to break free. When he did, he had killed them all. The Chitauri didn’t stand a chance when the weakened chains broke. Loki made sure all their cocks were chopped off and fed to them before they choked to their slow, deaths.

 

But the memory of his first violation struck a deep, psychological wound on his soul.

 

Loki knew, from hence forth, no matter how many times he killed, tricked and cheated his way towards his desires, he would never take any of his victims unwillingly for sex.

 

_Until now._

 

A luminous light caught Loki’s eyes and he noticed a clear collar wrapped around Tony’s neck now.

 

_It hadn’t been there… Why would they need to-_

 

He saw the blinking runes pulsate and realized it wasn't a collar to restrain magic but merely to label the individual. Loki leaned closer and read ‘Anthony Stark’.

 

And beside the name, another description floated and it made his eyes widen. Loki felt his heart beat faster as realization dawned on him and the implications of his actions. He knew now what his captors had been attempting to do.

 

The letters read, “With Child: Cross-breed. Estimated delivery: 6 months. Insemination host: Loki Laufeyson (Jotun)”

 

_He had impregnated Tony Stark._

 

_But how?_

 

Loki backed away, trying to calm his breathing. The anger that rose inside of him was vast and murderous.

 

One part of him encouraged him to kill the sleeping human now and end his misery; he had inflicted enough pain on this human. Even in his lowest moments, he would never have gone to such lengths to inflict the torture he had forced upon this man.

 

But another part of him pleaded him not to kill Tony. The child was his. _His._ He could not possibly kill the man he had wronged, let alone be the killer of his only child.

 

_A child… would it look him? An Aesir? Or a Jotun?_

 

Loki gave out a frustrated yell as his confined magic bristled inside of him.

 

These creatures were going to suffer, he would make sure of this.

 

And he… he was going to protect Tony no matter what happened.

 

-

 

_The darkness surrounded him as his suit finally shut down, the image of Pepper and Jarvis’s voice finally silenced. His only vision now an overlooking spectacle of the missile as it hit home, destroying the ship that had been controlling the Chitauri army._

 

_Air was rapidly starting to decrease and his whole body started to panic, his mind racing._

 

_Am I going to die?_

 

_The thought was frightening, yet even as he thought it, he was succumbing to the exhaustion that overtook him._

 

_At least he’d done something right._

 

_“I am not finished with you yet…” a voice drawled and Tony blinked and realized he was wrapped in the arms of a… man? He turned his head and then he immediately recognized the voice. It was Loki, and the god was sneering at him._

 

_“I didn’t think you can be so susceptible to me, Stark. I thought males of your kind did not give birth?”_

 

_What? I’m a man, I don’t- Tony thought before he realized his stomach was large. He looked down at it in horror and felt the god’s hand touching his belly lovingly. “I loved how you spread your legs apart for me. I knew you would do great…”_

 

_“No, this isn’t what I want,” Tony heard himself saying and he tried to pull away but the god was too strong. He realized with growing horror that he was naked and he could feel Loki’s erection behind his back, rubbing into him. And the worst thing about it was that his body felt aroused by it._

 

_“I hate you,” Tony whispered, fear gripping him like a vice as he trembled in the god’s arms. “You don’t mean that. Can’t you see how our love blossoms in your womb? I think we should try again, shall we?”_

 

_With a blink of an eye, Tony found himself lying on his back and Loki was hovering over him. He heard the wailing of a baby’s cry but the sound was less distressing than the position he was in now. His eyes widened as he saw Loki’s smiling face, eyes burning gold, and a scream went unheard as the god leaned in towards his ear._

 

_“I want another, Stark. You will provide me with one. Again and again. Because you were made to be ruled.”_

 

_There was no relief as he felt the god push his cock into him, nestling himself comfortably within Tony._

 

_Tony could only whimper and cry out as Loki pushed in and out rhythmically. And he couldn’t do anything to stop it. The fullness of the god’s cock took away every rational thought as the dance continued, Tony feeling the sensation of pain running through him._

 

_“So good, you are doing so well, Stark. My mate. You will bear only my children. Is that understood?”_

 

_When Tony did not answer, Loki slammed into his entrance and Tony cried out in agony. It was too much-_

 

_“Do you understand me?”_

 

_Tony gave a faint nod, but the god seemed unsatisfied. So instead the god picked Tony up, like a doll, and embraced the man into his arms. Tony sagged into the god, felt the cock inside of him twitch as if disturbed to find their intercourse had been halted. “Say it.”_

 

_“Y-yes…” Tony whispered into the god’s ear, and he felt a kiss being placed on his forehead._

 

_“Very good. Now, where were we?”_

 

-

 

Tony shot awake with a scream on his tongue. He felt his heart racing as he fell off of whatever he was sleeping on. His whole body covered in sweat, still trembling from his nightmare. It was so vivid, as if he was actually there.

 

_It’s not real._

 

He felt something scratch his neck and Tony put his hand over it to find something wrapped around his neck. He tried pulling at it, but it constricted his breath so he let it go for now. The effects of the dream had been far too traumatizing to feel anger that he had been put a collar.

 

 _I’ll deal with this later,_ Tony thought absently.

 

His eyes searched around the room, but found it to be empty.

 

There was no sign of Loki.

 

A huge sense of relief washed over him, the fear of flight of fight diminishing for a moment as his body, tense, also slackened a bit. But another part of him wondered whether Loki was still here, watching his every move, hiding behind an illusion of invisibility, waiting to slam him back down and force himself on Tony once more.

 

Or… could it be that Loki really wasn’t here?

 

Maybe the god had been lying all along. Perhaps he was in league with the creatures that took him from his home.

 

After all, the god was called a liar more times than legends can count. He should have known better than to expect anything of Loki. Tony had hoped, before this ordeal, he could somehow use the god to escape but not after what had happened.

 

He didn’t need Loki. He’ll find some way to escape… or die trying.

 

Tony awkwardly stood on his feet, his body expecting to feel the aftermath of what had been done to him. He was naked, exposed and

 

But instead, he felt no pain. In confusion, Tony searched for all the areas that he knew Loki had inflicted pain on him.

 

The pain was gone… but he saw them. The scars were still there. He traced them, a shiver passing through him. More than anything, he wanted to wash away everything that had put their hands on him. The aliens, the intrusion and most of all, Loki.

 

He bolted to the bathroom where he knew there was a shower and tried the nozzle now, hoping it would work. Sure enough, a splash of water fell from above like heavenly rain. It was hot, the right amount of temperature and welcoming.

 

Tony stepped into it and looked around to see if there was anything he can wash himself with, but nothing extra was offered. He didn’t really care though as he scrubbed every inch of his body with his hands, almost to the point where he was hurting himself. The sweat and smell of sex was still fresh in his memory and even in the warm embrace of the shower, he felt a chill pass through him and settle in the pit of his stomach. His stomach…

 

_The baby._

 

He fell to the floor, letting the water drench his naked skin as he sat on the corner. Tony still couldn’t quite believe it.

 

He was a man… he couldn’t get pregnant. It must’ve all been a trick, to traumatize him even further.

 

_No, I refuse to accept it._

 

But he couldn’t stop thinking about it, the baby swimming in his gut like some creature from the movie Aliens. With a sudden nausea, Tony heaved, letting go of what little food he probably had in his system. He saw it disappear quickly down the drain.

 

 _What am I going to do now?_ Tony thought. He really didn’t know anymore. He still couldn’t see an escape plan from here. There was nothing he could find so far that entailed a grand escape.

 

He shuddered as he thought about Loki. The very image of the god made his skin crawl.

 

Tony stayed there for what felt like hours and didn’t leave until the water stopped working. He tried to turn the nozzle again, but the last remnants of the water splashed onto him. Cursing under his breath, Tony got out and found that there was some clothes and a towel waiting for him on the bed.

 

Reluctantly, Tony neared the bed and took the towel, which seemed like something out of his world. He used it to dry himself, looking around the room cautiously, his skin prickling uncomfortably at the notion that the creatures were watching him. _Were they observing him? Trying to check and see if he was stable?_

 

He picked up the clothes, which were silky white with a long sleeved shirt, some long pants and underwear. It seemed comfortable enough as well.

 

“Are you trying to gain my favor or something with these things? Don’t think for a second I’ll start to think grateful for what you’re doing!” Tony shouted at the ceiling, anger rising in him.

 

There was no response, but Tony didn’t want one. He just wanted his frustrations known.

 

He wore them anyway though, because it was that or being naked. And that was the last thing he wanted, to be so exposed like that again.

 

He fell onto the sofa, suddenly feeling tired again. The warmth of the shower had made his body relax a little than usual most likely. But his eyes darted again and again at the other side of his cell, towards the empty space where he had first found Loki.

 

_Where was the god?_

 

But then an indifferent voice spoke back to him.

 

_Do I even want to know?_

 

He tried to think of his team and whether they had found him yet. They needed to hurry, and fast. Thor could already be heading here now, even as he thought of it, and hoped that were true. But something told him they were not coming to his rescue any time soon. If they had already located him, he would have been rescued already.

 

Tony closed his eyes and curled up into a comfortable position and wished for a dreamless sleep. Imagining things always usually seemed to get his mind off of things, or keeping his hands busy… He focused his mind back to the garage, where Dum-E rolled around doing the absolute opposite of what he asked. Dum-E, he missed his old bot. Jarvis too and everything that he called home.

 

Thoughts of home brought up a gut-wrenching tear from his eyes as Tony cried, feeling so lonely and forsaken now.

 

Eventually even feeling sorry about himself was tiring as Tony fell back into a deep slumber.

 

x

 

After a few hours of the incident, Loki had stayed by Tony’s side like a protective hound. But that was short-lived as the doors to their cell had opened and the creatures forced him away. He had fount them, tooth and nail, using his magic as well. And it had worked a little. He heard a satisfied shriek of pain before he was knocked unconscious.

 

When he woke up, he was lying on the floor, his wrists wrapped in manacles and the chains were linked to the floor. The area was dark, except for one light hovering over him like a spotlight. Loki glared at it.

 

“Loki Laufeyson.”

 

The voice was garbled, but Loki can hear them clearly.

 

He looked around for his enemies but found nothing but the light beaming into him. Or so he thought, until he saw the creatures in full-light.

 

There was one hideous looking alien standing before him. Tentacles slithered around it’s face, twisting and turning as it spoke.

 

Loki wasted no time to try and throw a blast of magic energy at the creature, but the collar around his neck seared into him, stopping him immediately. An furious snarl left him and he wished he could rip the creature into shreds. After a few seconds, the pain stopped and he regained his composure.

 

“We are here to give you the conditions for your stay.”

 

“My stay? I have no intention of _staying._ I demand you release me!”

 

The creature’s head wiggled in response, the skin glowing luminously red as it spoke.

 

“Our client is very explicit. You shall serve your purpose or the consequences will not be pleasant.”

 

Loki laughed in their faces. “Pray tell, then, what you can possibly threaten me with? I care not for anyone or anything!”

 

“As you already know, you are now a father. The human you have slept with bears your child. You will obey our commands if you wish to see your offspring live.”

 

Loki tried to hold a straight, impassive look at these words. Inside, he was murderous. But he needed to show them he was unfazed by their words. Perhaps showing indifference will get him what he wanted.

 

“Stark? The babe is of little i to me. It is an insult. Do what you will. I will not be your slave.”

 

The creature glowed a sickly green now. “We will cut the child out of the human. The male specimen will suffer.”

 

The blood flushed out of his system as Loki realized what the creature was threatening to do. They were forcing him to choose between submission and Stark. He could see the creatures with their knives, cutting into Tony’s body and pulling their babe out, leaving the mortal to die bleeding endlessly…

 

“Choose, Laufeyson.”

 

Loki knew there was no way around this now. No amount of lies was going to get himself out of this situation. If he did not submit to their requests, he will break his promise to the man. And the innocent baby. His firstborn. He smothered his rage then. What good will it do here, when the only answer he could give now meant serving the creatures.

 

“What are your terms?”

 

The Breeders face lit up, and this time it glowed white as the tentacles slithered in the air.

 

“You will be sold to the highest bidder. Many desire your company. The client who has paid us would like for you to suffer.”

 

 _The client… So, someone had paid these creatures to cause harm onto Stark and I,_ Loki noted. _I will kill them all and make them regret every last suffering he inflicted._

 

“If I agree to do this, you will vow not to harm Stark? Our child will be safe and he will be allowed to give birth naturally?”

 

“Yes.” The creature gave a nod.

 

Loki gave one sharp bow in response to this. _Very well…_ He will endure what was to come. For Stark and the child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I feel like I'm just making a chapter called, "How can I make Loki any more creepy and unlikable in Tony's eyes?" 
> 
> I promise, there'll be more hurt/comfort, but I need to establish this delusion in Tony's mind first cause, well, I can (evil laugh). Okay, seriously. I want to show Tony just how wrong he is.
> 
> I may have also ended this at a really horrifying cliffhanger...
> 
> It's official - this client sucks. The breeders are absolute a-holes and Tony needs a serious hug. Loki, well, is actually doing the right thing.
> 
> Also: Loki doesn't have any children in this fic, as I thought it'd be interesting to see his first reactions to having a baby.


	4. Disappearance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They can make anyone disappear. 
> 
> -
> 
> One last warning: This chapter includes scenes of non-consensual blow jobs and mentions of Mpreg. 
> 
> I'll forgo with warnings in the next chapters going forward, cause this story is definitely not a happy nugget.

****Tony timed the number of times the food and water appeared. He had seen it appear in full view now.

 

After that day, he hadn’t seen Loki. Tony was alone, which he was thankful for and wished to god will continue.

 

In terms of the creatures, the first few days Tony couldn’t stop but stare at the walls and react to them when it seemed to shimmer and move like the creatures. But when he realized the walls only moved to give him sustenance or clothing, he calmed down a bit more.

 

He didn’t quite know how many days had passed since the day of his kidnapping, especially with the lack of windows around the room, but he noticed his body felt less energetic than before.

 

To take his mind off of all the shit that had happened, Tony decided to scour the rooms again, hoping to find something that would give him some clue or other to save him from his predicament. He noticed a few imitations of a bookshelf, but the books were stuck to the wall and didn’t budge. He also tried going through the bathroom and through corners around the sofa and a lamp. But this one was also stuck to the frame of the table. It was as if the imitations itself was missing the point about why all these things existed in the first place.

 

 _Damn… Goddamnit!_ Tony cursed internally. How was he going to ever get out of this hell hole?

 

 _You haven’t tried Loki’s cell yet,_ his mind stated and Tony immediately felt his breath start to go erratic. The fact that he was stuck in his cell was horrible enough.

 

“No, probably nothing to see there anyway. And-“ Tony cut off, trailing off. _He might come back any time_.

 

The nagging thought still followed him incessantly, but he crushed it.

 

x

 

Rest.

 

Shower.

 

Eat.

 

Drink.

 

_Repeat._

 

The cycle continued, over and over and somehow being stuck in his cell with only his thoughts for company was driving him absolutely insane.

 

But after what seemed like a week, something changed.

 

_Oh god, I’m going to be sick._

 

Tony jolted away as a wave of nausea took over him. Before he was even thinking it through, he was vomiting everything. The sensation came back, again and again and it made him wonder.

 

_Were they poisoning him and trying to kill him slowly?_

 

Another strange thing he noticed was the way his smell became more sensitive. One day, the food offered to him had given off a tremendous reek. Of course, he hadn’t been eating any normal ‘human’ food since his stay there, but he knew - that piece of meat was not going into his mouth.

 

Fatigue followed him around like a plague, as well as the smell of sick he left every few hours.

 

The cycle had slowly become his own personal hell.

 

The effects he felt now were raw, dragging him down. He had no reprieve from it as the sickness came. On the fleeting moments he felt a little better, Tony tried to examine the details.

 

_The sickness. The heightened senses._

 

Tony didn’t want to admit it but he knew the answer was staring right in front of him, especially after he started to notice his stomach looking a little… bloated. He had seen it and shaken it off as nothing more than gaining a bit of weight.

 

But it was inevitable now as he put two and two together.

 

_He was pregnant._

 

Never in a million years did Tony ever think he would become a father. He was a playboy, so somewhere along the lines it was bound to happen; a pretty model knocking on his door one day and telling him he was a father. But with the messed up relationship he had with his own old man and the short, non-lasting relationships he had with everyone - even Pepper - Tony knew he wasn’t going to be able to commit to being one.

 

Ironic, really, that he, Tony Stark, was the one with the baby in his belly instead of the other way around. Perhaps this was what he got for all of the devastation he brought onto innocents. He thought he had done enough to get a clean slate. He really did.

 

He touched his belly, feeling it. It was a small bump, nothing quite noticeable yet. He wondered how far along he was, to be feeling this.. _morning sickness,_ his mind recalled.

 

“Morning sickness, my ass,” Tony murmured as he felt another urge to heave. But the moment passed, thankfully. He sat on the ground, and for some reason he found himself placing a hand on his stomach as if he were protecting it. He immediately let go.

 

 _What am I doing? I don’t want this - it’s an alien. It’s_ Loki’s _baby. Not mine._

 

Tony knew that probably wasn’t all true. He was carrying the baby, which meant it most likely was carrying his genes as well. Human genes. Asgardian genes. Mix them together and a hybrid would be born.

 

What are the creatures intending? Impregnating him must’ve only been part of their plan. Loki’s disappearance must be a part of it. Maybe it was to calm his nerves down? Tony doubted it was all for the benefit of his sensitive nature.

 

 _A hybrid child…_ What did they want with a human and Asgard mutant?

 

Tony pondered these thoughts, ruminating over them until the sickness caught up to him again.

 

x

x

x

x

 

Location: PLANET GYTHRAS

Date: 2014

 

Planet Gythras was a hidden planet on the far side of the solar system, so barely lit it seemed to look invisible to the naked eye. And many preferred it stayed that way, for it was one of the fewest planets that was well-known for legal prostitution and exchange of goods many considered to be illegal.

 

A hefty price could be made in the auction areas, for the best-priced slaves while some exchanged weaponry, witchcraft, and sorcery. And then there were the large brothels that lay over the expanse of the planet, located in the city of Dith. Masters of all kinds came to seek sexual release or perhaps companionship, although most of them were never usually looking for romance.

 

The Breeders had located their newest goods on this planet numerous times and they had made good business here, procuring what they needed. This day, however, they came to the planet to register one particular specimen into the database of the Gythras’s core, which linked their profiles in.

 

The creatures admired the progress this city had made since their last visit. The city walls had grown and its population had increased. The clientele seemed to have risen in numbers as well. And the database clearly spoke for itself.

 

“State the name of the item,” the machine in front of them spoke, and the Breeders garbled the words, Loki Laufeyson, into the microphone. It gave off a beep in acknowledgment and then responded. “Register complete. Owner: Breeders. Specifications: Jotun. Current Health: Stable. Insert your starting price.”

 

The creatures inserted the amount as instructed by their client. It was a very hefty starting price, but the Breeders were sure such a specimen with its reputation was bound to gain some popularity.

 

“Register complete. Please deposit your item into cell # 36490.”

 

The Breeders followed the machine’s instructions promptly and dragged their slave, blindfolded and gagged, into the cell. The god slowed them down a little, but the creatures quickly dragged their specimen into the cell.

 

It was quite swift after that as they linked the chains around the many ready-made contraptions around the cell. They ignored the noises the god made and went to work, checking the god’s vitals again just to be sure and then took the blindfold away.

 

As soon as they did, they met the murderous gaze of Loki Laufeyson staring back at him.

 

One of the Breeders had pulled on the chains to see if it was securely connected to the walls, and Loki was pulled by it.

 

“Remember the vow, god,” the Breeders ordered and the god squirmed in response to the bonds. They left the cell promptly. They had more work to do.

 

They slithered towards a floating screen and clicked, prompting a welcome page. With quick succession, the creature looked at their specimen’s valued price and found to its utmost surprise that it had reached the rank of 3rd in most desired. It had only been mere minutes since they had registered the god, and yet the request count had gone from zero, 20, 34, until its most recent number, 128.

 

This was a good day indeed… They will make great business with this creature.

 

x

 

Humiliating as it was, Loki stood still, waiting, chained up and tried to focus his thoughts on analyzing his current situation.

 

After his conversation with the Breeders, they had immediately brought him here. He knew he was on planet Gythras and aware of the planet’s vile reputation. Once he was in the system, it was going to be a little more difficult for him to run, that was for sure. On most situations like these, Loki would have already been hatching an escape plan, but the contract he made for Tony’s life held him back.

 

He looked around his surroundings now. The prison looked more like a dungeon, the walls made out of silver, the surfaces smooth. There was no bed or any torture devices laid out, but he would not be coming out of the cell without bleeding.

 

 _I will need to perform well to keep Tony alive…_ The thought made bile rise to his throat.

 

He remembered the Breeders words clearly.

 

_Remember the vow, god._

 

The door opened and for a moment, Loki was blinded by a vast amount of light. He blinked and then he saw a creature in front of him walking towards him. It was muscular, male and human looking. But the tail, a long one like a snake, seemed to forgo that theory. He didn’t know what species it was, but he could see a hunger in its eyes that he was all too familiar with.

 

Loki knew instantly what it was after.

 

The first client stripped out of his clothes quickly, tossing it aside. An air of sick excitement seemed to permeate from the client as Loki watched, trying to find any manner of weakness on this man. While a part of him found all the weak areas to push a knife into, another part of him forcing himself to find all the possible pleasure points.

 

_He had to do it if he wanted Stark and the babe to survive._

 

The client walked up to Loki now, fully stripped. Its cock was erect, eager to be put inside. Loki squirmed instinctively as he felt the creature drag the chains holding his arms up release. Loki dropped to his knees, his wrists still held painfully above his head.

 

“So you are the great Loki Laufeyson,” the creature hissed, and Loki eyed its movement silently. Even if he wanted to speak, the gag got in the way.

 

It was taken away though, as if on cue. He spat and a laugh emanated above him.

 

“I’ve heard quite a bit about you. Rumors, really. Some of the Chiaturi were bragging about their experiences with you one time and well, I tend to listen. Why should all the Chitauri have their fun? So when I saw your services were up for sale, I knew I had to try. I do hope you are worth it.”

 

Claws grabbed Loki’s hair, and he hissed as he saw the cock in front of his face. It smelt utterly disgusting.

 

“Suck it.”

 

Loki did not respond, starring at it. The client growled under his breath, pushing his cock closer.

 

“I paid a hefty price for you! I _will_ get my taste of that infamous silver tongue! Now _suck._ ”

 

Loki felt a jolt as his collar suddenly burned, and then a voice echoed inside of his mind.

 

_Your human will die if you do not submit._

 

The threat was there, immediate and ever-present. Loki knew he had no choice.

 

_Do it. Get it over with._

 

He opened his mouth slowly and curled them around the head. The client, however, impatient and bored of waiting, pushed his cock in with a sudden jab. Loki hadn’t prepared himself quickly enough as he was gagged by a sudden force, forced to accept the long, vile cock sitting fully seated in his mouth.

 

 _Breath, just breath,_ Loki reminded himself as he took in short breaths through his nose. Using his tongue, he curled it around the shaft, tasting the salt on his tongue, licking and he heard the client moan in pleasure in response.

 

“Oh _yes…_ That is exactly what I needed!”

 

It was only no more than a second before Loki lost control and the client started using his mouth to pound into him instead. Choking, the god fought as hard as he can to keep his gag reflex from kicking in. Minutes felt like hours as the friction built, making his mouth feel raw from the constant push and pull.

 

“By heavens, that feels _good!_ ” the client was panting as he pushed into Loki and eventually the jeers became nothing more than pathetic moans and groans. Loki closed his eyes and tried his best to separate his present with a different thought.

 

_Anthony Stark._

 

It was the mortal’s name. He had read the file back when he had been trying to find out all about the Avengers. A genius, billionaire, philanthropist, although the last one sounded vaguely dubious to Loki. Why had he been in the same cell with him? What made this man so special?

 

Pain jolted Loki back to the present as the male creature pulled at his hair and pushed his cock down his throat until Loki felt the creatures balls pressing around his cheeks. He choked on it, eyes widening as he writhed in his chains, desperate for air.

 

“Fuck, they weren’t lying. You really can take it all!”

 

Tears brimmed Loki’s eyes, barely on the verge of wanting to bite the creature’s cock off completely. But he forced himself to rid of the thoughts, instead of coaxing the male to continue moving with his tongue. It was hard, but he managed it somehow.

 

“Eager, are we?” Loki heard the client say above his head and the creature started his pounding again with a newly renewed pace, fucking into his mouth. Loki endured it with the image of Tony Stark on his mind, the last of his memories as ‘the beast’ still fresh. He had acted so monstrously towards the human…

 

_Was this how Stark had felt when he had violated him? Helpless?_

 

Loki heard the client give out a lustful cry and then he knew it was done. He felt hot come spill down his throat in short spurts. Heart racing, Loki was finally able to breath properly when the male finally pulled out his spent cock out of his mouth.

 

Loki spat the cum onto the floor instantly and the client seemed enticed even more by this, laughing at the spectacle.

 

“I guess you still have a little to learn. I don’t mind you not drinking my cum, but I do think the others after me aren’t going to be as kind and forgiving as me. Take care not to piss them off. It was nice doing business with you, Asgardian whore!”

 

“I am going to kill you!” Loki yelled furiously as the doors slammed and the client left, echoing his triumphant laughter.

 

Loki felt the collar constrict around his neck as he said it and not for the first time he wished he had all his magic back. He burned the memory of the client into his memory.

 

Once he was free, he would burn all of them. Every last one who considered touching him, violating him and degrading him tonight and the days to come, would be cursed.

 

The door opened again and Loki looked up at the next victim to be added on his black list.

 

x

x

x

x

x

 

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L

 

Property of S.H.I.E.L.D

 

 

 

Name: Anthony “Tony” Howard Stark

Key member of the Avengers Initiative

Disappearance registered: 1:12 AM. May 29, 2012 (as reported by J.A.R.V.I.S)

Abducted by Unknown Species

 

Further notes:

 

Extensive search worldwide, ordered by Director Fury

Footage found on J.A.R.V.I.S (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System) inconclusive. Damaged.

Appearances of an unauthorized vehicle later discovered near Stark Tower. Untraceable.

Called for assistance to Asgard, alien planet. Denied.

No hostage demands or communications from the abductees registered.

 

Conclusion -

 

Last seen: Earth. 23:12 PM. May 29, 2012

Death: Unknown

 

Registered funeral commenced on January 31, 2014.

 

 

Investigation discontinued on January 24, 2014, ordered by Director Fury

 

 

….

 

Override detected …

 

…. Override complete.

 

….

 

Are you sure you would like to delete this file?

By clicking yes, this document will cease to exist and will not be recoverable.

 

[YES] <

[NO]

 

….

 

You have pressed [YES]

 

Commence file deletion.

 

…

 

Deletion Complete.

 

File last viewed by: Unknown (Profile blocked)

 

…

 

 

 

x

x

x

x

x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're confused by the ending, just note that time in space isn't quite the same as it is on Earth.


	5. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions could lead to assumptions if the facts you have aren't true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments are awesome, thanks for reading guys!

****Tony heard a noise from the other end of the prison. His ears had become so unaccustomed to noise after so much silence lately that he found it alarming. He jolted a little at the sound.

 

His eyes caught the shimmering features of the creatures pulling someone into the room and Tony realized with a sense of panic who he was.

 

_Loki._

 

The god looked battered and bruised, his clothes in tatters. There were droplets of blood dripping onto the floor. It looked like someone had gone to great lengths to punish him.

 

Tony was almost satisfied to see Loki in such a state.

 

_Almost._

 

 _He deserved to be in as much pain as I was…_ The thought was aggressive, filled with hate.

 

Tony watched as the creatures left, slithering away and disappearing on the other side. His nose picked up the smell of blood; damn his sensitive nose. Even from a distance, he could see the god was in bad shape.

 

So.. his main theory was wrong. Loki wasn’t an accomplice to those creatures. He was a prisoner, like him. And his captors had tortured him, beat him up and left him here again.

 

But if Loki wasn’t in league with the creatures, that meant one thing.

 

He recalled that moment before everything went to hell. Loki hadn’t been civil, but he also seemed himself during their encounter. And the god’s eyes... They had been green and then when he’d been attacked, they were grey. Like something had sucked the color out of him and replaced it with smoke.

 

Tony knew the past couple of days he’d been trying to deny the possibility that Loki might have been innocent.

 

_Loki was probably drugged. His actions; chemically induced… and the god was driven to act the way he did because of it._

 

Tony almost wanted to stop blaming Loki for all of this. Tony knew it and yet… right now he couldn’t.

 

Forgiveness was not something he was willing to give. Because at the end of the day, regardless of the manipulation, the fact of the matter was that Loki had been the one who fucked him. And there was no getting around that truth.

 

_“Stark…?”_

 

Loki’s voice sounded in the silence. Tony didn’t respond, freezing, as he watched the god struggle to get up and fail, collapsing on the floor in a heap. The sight was pitiful.

 

He continued to watch the god struggle and found that small sparks of light danced around Loki’s body.

 

_Maybe he’s trying to heal himself?_

 

There was silence for a moment and Tony half expected the god to get up again and grab him, like last time… But there was no movement from the bleeding god. He realized the god probably wasn’t conscious now

 

Somehow, watching the god lying there on the other side, Tony couldn’t help but feel a bit of guilt for not trying to help. There was no fucking way he was going near the god, but the thought of not doing anything seemed harsh and cruel. He didn’t consider himself to being a cruel man.

 

No, it wasn’t cruelty that kept him from going near.

 

The gut-wrenching fear was what it was.

 

Tony turned away.

 

x

 

Loki awoke to the sensation of multiple areas of his body throbbing with pain, although numbed a little bit by magic. He blinked in confusion and then realized his dormant magic, what little he can feel trickle out of him, had been trying to resew him back to health. He could feel the limited amount, but he was grateful. He lay on the floor for a moment, concentrating on the threads of magic to seal the wounds back, letting it seep through his veins.

 

He looked up at the ceiling, trying to find his bearings. _Was he..._

 

It was bright, the colors sickly white. And his arms were free.

 

_Free…_

 

Was he back in the cell? Away from Gythras?

 

A surge of relief swept through him.

 

_Which meant only..._

 

He turned his head this time, towards the other side of his prison and saw the mortal. _Stark._

 

Stark was on the sofa, lying on it with a grimace on his face. The human’s eyes looked back at Loki now, both of them catching the other’s stare.

 

A look of anger and hatred was what Loki was greeted with. The god accepted it. He knew this was coming, and he rightly deserved it. No creature should have gone through what Stark had.

 

 _I am sorry, Anthony Stark…_ Loki thought and wanted to speak, but the couldn’t. His throat still felt raw from the abuse.

 

The human’s brown eyes shifted away, breaking their gaze. Stark’s body curled up into a small ball. Immediately, the god noticed the thrums of pain emanating from the man.

 

_Tony Stark was in pain._

 

Loki felt it as if it were his own.

 

If someone had predicted years ago that he would care for his enemy this way now, or even have feelings of wanting to help them, he would have laughed in their faces. But now… everything was different. Loki wanted, more than anything else now, to ease Stark’s pain.

 

Loki forced himself to get up halfway, dragging his body up. He did it with excruciating slowness, feeling as if his body weighed for more than he had moments ago.

 

He searched for the magic that could take Stark’s pain away. He was able to reach for it, albeit sacrificing his own recovery in exchange for Stark’s comfort. _I could share it._

 

“I can soothe the sickness, Stark, if you’ll let me…” Loki spoke softly.

 

“I have wronged you, Stark. I have no right to suggestion it. But this is the least I can do to ease the suffering. Just give me the word and it shall be done.”

 

x

 

 _Yes…_ Tony thought but he didn’t reply. He wasn’t entirely thinking straight, especially since this massive aching sensation took ahold of him.

 

Tony didn’t really understand what could’ve brought this on. The sickness he’d been feeling for the past couple of weeks, or so he thought, hadn’t come back to haunt him for a while. He’d been absolutely fine…. until Loki showed up.

 

Suddenly he was feeling agony his belly, which had grown out a little. He could feel the bump now, slightly protruding out.

 

_He didn’t need Loki’s help. He… didn’t want it._

 

His body protested with him, trying to reason with him. Tony felt another jab of pain as he curled into a fetal position. It helped just a little. He screwed his eyes shut, trying to endure this the best he can. He breathed in and out, trying to calm himself.

 

_“No.”_

 

“Let me help you…” Loki echoed and Tony shook his head.

 

“No! _I don’t need your help!”_

 

The venom in Tony’s tone was enough to quiet Loki. Good. All he wanted was just to be left alone now.

 

x

 

Stark’s refusal to be helped rang in Loki’s ear and sadness overcame him. He knew that was to be expected.

 

He knew Stark was in pain, and Loki realized this stubborn human was not going to let him heal him even to relieve himself. Loki almost admired the man’s strength.

 

“Very well…”

 

Resigned, Loki slowly took his time to get up from the floor. He finally did. He still had a limp so he dragged his right leg though, where he had felt it break. His magic was slowly readjusting it back into place. Loki dragged it along until he fell into the far corner of his cell, collapsing from the strain.

 

Loki thought he heard an exhale, that sounded akin to relief. With a sense of remorse, the god realized Stark had been holding his breath until he left.

 

_I am so sorry._

 

The god leaned his head on the wall and felt the last of the damages inflicted on the burns over his neck disappear.

 

The 89th client, as Loki recalled, had bought him to torture him. Loki had beared it the best he can. Somehow, it was a little easier to be tormented physically than to be used for sexual requests. From the first one that had come in, he had counted in total 54 clients so far, since Day One on Gythras, that had taken him for sexual gratification without his consent. After every session, he was cleaned every few hours by an AI. Humiliating as that was, he could do nothing but let it.

 

Loki wasn’t sure how many days he’d been on that planet. Each day, or night as the planet did not orbit the sun, was grim and something always happened that left him scarred. He was given moments of reprieve after a few clients, with three to four hours where sleep (which did not come easily) was allowed and food was administered to him. But that was the only decency he was permitted.

 

Clients came in and out, had their fun with him, and left. And every time another came back, a lot of the times Loki imagined himself away from the place. He didn’t really have so many happy memories in his lifetime, especially not after his fall through the wormhole. So he recalled the small things that made him smile. His life on Asgard as a young boy, training his magical abilities with his mother… His childhood made him wonder about his offspring and the life he wanted to provide for the child and Stark.

 

What could he possibly give to them now?

 

_Freedom._

 

x

 

 

Tony didn’t believe in anything unless he could see it and prove its existence with his own eyes. That’s why religion had always confused him. He thought it strange that humanity’s culture revolved around beings that may or may not have existed.

 

But that all changed when he was face to face in front of Thor Odinson. Technically he was not a God, just another alien from a different planet. But Tony could sense a change in him - beings he thought were myths or fake started to exist. Science, as he discovered later, was magic in other planets.

 

Even if he hadn’t believed in magic, or any hocus pocus shit, what he did feel devoted to was science, chemistry, and biology.

 

And right now, Tony’s mind was calculating and assessing his whole situation. Even without his equipment, his brain was trying to find an end to this cycle.

 

His stomach was becoming bigger. Maybe a few inches or so, but it was expanding. The baby was growing inside him and he was nowhere near finding an escape. If he failed to find one, he was going to feel heavier and there was no running with a big belly.

 

 _I need to get out of here,_ Tony repeated the same words he thought over and over again the last couple of weeks.

 

He let out a frustrated curse under his breath. He’d been at it before- he tried, again and again, to something tangible to use as a weapon but the walls kept shifting and moving each time he did. The bastards clearly knew what he was doing.

 

Sometimes he’d wake up to find himself on the floor or on a bed and it was just dizzying at some point. I’m not giving up, Tony thought to himself.

 

The question was... how?

 

And then there was the god on the other side of his cell. He could see Loki’s movements from the corner of his eye and when he realized the god was standing up, for a moment memories of that day came back to him in torrents.

 

_Stay away... stay away from me..._

 

Tony wished, more than ever, that the invisible barrier would come back. Just to protect him from the beast on the other side that had taken him without consent. Unfortunately, his wish wasn’t granted (he checked).

 

 _Fuck, I can’t... I can’t be in the same cell as him. No, no..._ Tony paced like crazy and even though his continuous waves of pain and sickness, he shouted at the creatures. And eventually, he found himself pleading.

 

_“Let me out! Get me out of this cell!!! Please, please! Just don’t keep me in the same cell as him!”_

 

What he hadn’t noticed was Loki never tried to cross over the invisible line aligning both their cells or made any snarky comments to torment him. On the few times Tony did catch a glimpse of Loki, he saw the god was dressed in white (the same clothing he got on his first day) and was sitting in the corner of the cell, his eyes closed.

 

Tony didn’t know what to do, but to stop himself from panicking, he decided the best place to stay out of reach was in the shower stall, where he couldn’t see Loki.

 

Somehow though, the pain in his stomach seemed to worsen when he did, but Tony didn’t care.

 

_Anything to get away from him…_

 

X

 

Loki watched in silence as Stark cried, screamed, ran and paced on the other side. It was terrible, to watch the human tear himself apart this way, shouting desperately to be freed. Loki tried not to look, knowing his stare prompted Stark to pace, but he couldn’t help but notice a small bump on Tony’s belly.

 

It made his agony and anger deepen, his hatred towards the Breeders festering like an open wound. He was going to destroy them and this damned place once he had his magic back fully.

 

After what felt like hours, Loki noticed Stark disappear into the bathing area. Perhaps it was for the best, but not being able to see Stark in his view was disturbing.

 

Nevertheless, Loki did nothing and instead decided the best thing he could provide now for the man was silence. Conserving his power was another thing as well. He tried to access all the magic in him, to see if he could muster enough of it to break the hold on his collar as he attempted to dissolve it, but it did not easily break.

 

A frustrated sigh left him. He’s been at it before. He had tried, more times he can count, when he was locked in the cell at Gythras. Alas, he never had time to completely examine it thoroughly though. Loki stroked it, trying to determine the metal’s components and the magic that it contained.

 

It was immensely powerful, enough to restrain his magic, which was not an easy feat. When Loki had heard the collar seal around his neck during the Breeder’s first attack, he had felt the collar constrict so much of his strength that he had promptly been knocked out by it.

 

There were only a few that could enchant something like this, and Loki could guess it was from his former home. It was Asgardian metal, heavy around his neck and it weighed him down whenever he moved. Perhaps it was from Nidavellir, where the great Dwarves made the weapons for their Asgardian King.

 

So… maybe the All-father was involved and he was punishing him. After all, it would not be beneficial for Odin to have a smudge on his reputation. Loki had seen his father punish the ‘wicked’ in many fancy ways while he was at court, none of which were particularly favorable to witness. A disgraced Prince and Jotun to survive and be seen in public would have been quite disgraceful. Hiding him away in a remote place like Gythras and not having to deal with the mess would have been the easiest option offered. With the amount of riches the All-Father had, there was nothing that could have made him hesitate.

 

 _If that were true, then why was I locked in the same cell as Stark…_ Loki wondered. His father would most certainly have no interest in a mortal. But knowing his brother, Thor would have protested. Was Stark being punished by his people? It did not make sense… He had seen Stark be proclaimed a hero. Which meant there was more to this plot than he thought and there was someone else, far worse than even his father, that had taken it upon themselves to torture them in this way.

 

The Chitauri? If the Chitauri had lived, Loki would have been able to blame them. But he knew he killed them all. There was not a single creature left alive once he was done with them.

 

 _Perhaps Ashrat and his men had a master…_ Loki thought and he decided he was going to find a way to figure this out. He hadn’t been able to extract anything useful during his horrid stay in Gythras, except the date.

 

The date. Just before he was returned to the cell, he had caught sight of it on one of Gythras’s floating panels. It was hard to see but once he realized what the numbers represented, everything felt cold. Shock was the first thing that came over him. It had been 2012 in Earth years when he had attacked Midgard.

 

The words that lit up contradicted him otherwise.

 

“ _2015._  150th anniversary of Gythras’s rebirth!

All Gythrans rejoice!”

 

**_The Breeders had kept them for 3 years._ **

 

Was Stark aware of the years that had past? It was highly unlikely. If he was in Gythras, then they were light years away from Midgard. That was why he had always preferred to travel through the Bifrost if he needed to travel far away lands - ships could be unpredictable.

 

There was something though that did not add up- even with the malfunctioning of a ship’s internal workings, 3 years was far too long. It would have been able to replace the parts they needed, most likely. So why had three years passed since the day of the abduction?

 

Loki felt his skin crawl at the unanswered question. Perhaps he did not want to know. The fact still remained that he was stuck with a powerful collar that prevented escape and a pregnant man bearing his child. Day by day, the child was most likely growing. There was little time he can waste now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, any piece of suggestion or comments will really be interesting to read.


	6. Designed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating, life caught up with me and I ended up waiting for a bit until I can find the right moment to finalize this. Thank you for your comments ! Hope you like this.

**Planet Dulhun**

 

**Date: October 28, 2013**

 

In a back alley of a dingy pub, a hooded man sat in front of his glass of ale with a long exhale. Numerous glasses, shattered or otherwise, were scattered around the table, but he did not seem to care for them.

 

Thor Odinson was here to drown in his sorrows, as best he can. His father had been adamant in keeping him at Asgard so that he could ‘take his rightful place at court’. As always. It was especially so after his mother’s death.

 

His father had tried to prevent him from leaving the seven realms. But he ran, fleeing from his ‘responsibilities’ as Asgard’s future King, as his father had put it. He needed time to mourn for Jane. Her death left a deep wound on his soul and the ale, well, was just one way to try to ease the pain of losing her.

 

It was funny, Thor thought without a smile, how easily he was losing his loved ones nowadays. First his brother, although that probably did not count. Then his beloved mother and finally Jane. It was as if fate sent him trials time and time again.

 

The thought of his brother alive made Thor swig his ale down his throat. He hadn’t seen his brother since the battle of New York had been fought with the Chitauri on Midgard. The All-Father had proclaimed Loki’s disappearance as an elaborate escape. If he had cared enough, perhaps he would have sought for more information, bur after seeing his brother laugh at the face of battle, death surrounding him, Thor felt no pity for him. In a way, it made Thor understand him and finally see Loki for what he was; a trickster and a God of Chaos.

 

_I thought I knew you better, brother, but I was wrong. You betrayed me time and time again._

 

Most likely Loki was far away, wreaking havoc somewhere. _Although,_ Thor pondered, _if he was I would have heard about it by now._

 

It was strange that around the same time, not too many days after Loki’s escape, Thor heard his comrade from the Avengers team, Tony Stark, had disappeared. Many suspected abduction and SHIELD had asked him for his and Asgard’s assistance in finding the mortal beyond Midgard’s territory. Of course, he readily agreed to help. But his father, on the other hand, had refused.

 

 _“Father, the Midgardians need our help!” Thor tried to reason with his father_. But Odin had not been pleased and did not heed his request seriously.

 

In the end, Thor had combed every single realm he could find to look for the Man of Iron, but there was nothing. It was as if he had completely disappeared, without a trace. The mystery had always bothered him. It seemed unfair for the man to be taken away in such a manner, moments after victory for his people was restored.

 

 _Could Loki be behind it?_ The link seemed to fit; the date of Anthony Stark’s disappearance was closely matched with that of Loki’s escape. Perhaps his brother was the culprit. But why would he want to capture the Man of Iron?

 

 _Revenge, most likely,_ a voice in the back of his head resounded and Thor felt bitter anger towards Loki. If that were true, he would need to find his brother and bring him to justice. Loki needed to answer for all his crimes. 

 

Somehow, the thought of finding his brother seemed to make his pain of mourning his loved ones lessen a little. The urge to seek the truth settled in the pit of his stomach. The idea was going to bother him now, Thor knew.Perhaps this distraction was what he had needed.

 

Thor got up now with purpose, placing the money he owed on the table. _Where should I start?_

 

As he left the establishment, unbeknownst to the god, a small graffiti glowed in the corner of the pub, bearing the invitation codes and map leading to Planet Gythras.

 

x

 

**Year 2015**

 

**Date unknown.**

 

Tony tried to stave off his morning sickness with sleep. His body wasn’t in any mood for it, however. Every few hours, he had to go to the bathroom, and that kept him awake. Slowly though, his panic wore off. A little. Of course, there was every chance Loki could come in, but he tried not to think about this. The pain, too, settled down a bit into a dull ache. It was a tremendous relief in and of itself.

 

Tony still stayed close to the end of the shower stall though, away from the door that led to his cell room. Was he a coward? Perhaps he was, hiding away in this shower stall. In normal circumstances, he would have considered it cowardice. He was Iron Man, for god’s sake. Without his suits though, Tony was essentially just a man. He’d felt that helplessness first hand, after all, when he was taken so roughly.

 

If he started calling himself a fool now, then Tony wasn’t going to survive. What he needed now was to protect himself from getting himself killed.

 

“Need to stop wallowing too,” Tony decided as an afterthought as well, breathing in deeply and trying to calm himself a little. He should be more grateful that he had a minute to think straight for once.

 

He heard a small splash and turned to look at the sink. He hadn’t been paying too much attention to it, but it made him wonder. Was there a pipe system behind those walls like on Earth installed in this cell? The drain looked invisible to his eyes. It usually seemed like the sink soaked it up. But maybe there was something beneath the illusion.

 

He didn’t know anything about alien technology at all, but something definitely had to be providing the water for the room to work and the mechanism in front of him to function as a sink. If he had the right tools, Tony could try and pry open something to see if he could find a way out of here. The only problem was that he didn’t have any available right now.

 

His stomach grumbled, signaling his hunger. The food was probably going to appear again on the same table. Tony had been eating things that he didn’t really recognize at all, but it seemed the Creatures fed him meat mostly since he ate the ones that smelled like it. There was also bread too, which actually tasted like the ones he ate back home…

 

_Should I risk going out into the open now? Is Loki waiting for me outside?_

 

 _Or maybe nothing would happen. This thing in you might be what Loki wants. You could use it..._ A voice called to him, and Tony considered it. He looked at his small bump. It almost made him look fat, and a bitter laugh threatened to leave him. It made him want to puke again. He was suffering because of this thing inside of him. It made him recall his fleeting words to Loki about finding his weakness so he can go back to Earth. Well.. he may have found it.

 

Then there was the Creatures that did this to him. They were feeding him, trying to keep himfrom dying. _They want me alive so the thing could live. What would they do once it was out of me?_

 

 _I’m probably useless to them once its out. Or worse… they’ll try it again,_ Tony thought and he felt himself shiver uncontrollably for a few seconds, even though it wasn’t cold. If _it_ happened again, he knew his sanity will not last. Was this what those Creatures wanted? To reduce him into a hopeless prisoner, compliant and made to spread his legs for Loki forever in this cell?

 

The whole nightmare of the thought made his memories of assault come rushing back. Desperation clawed within him, threatening to tear him apart.

 

Then it struck him.

 

If the creatures were so keen on keeping him alive, then perhaps the only way to get their undivided attention was if he refused their “help”.

 

_I can starve myself until they notice I’m trying to kill this thing inside of me. When they notice, would the creatures come charging in?_

 

Ever since that first day, the Creatures hadn’t come to fetch him. Which was a good thing. But maybe he needed to piss them off to really get their attention.

 

Eventually, they were bound to try and stop him. If using this thing in his stomach gained him a small level of advantage, then it was worth it.

 

 _Maybe you need Loki,_ the small voice pointed out and Tony shook his head furiously. He didn’t need the god. He was going to get out of here without him and leave Loki behind.

 

His stomach growled in protest and Tony pursued into a frown. _I hope I don’t regret this..._

 

x

 

Days, Loki guessed, had passed since his imprisonment on Gythras.

 

His body had healed a substantial amount and he was back to his normal state. Of course, the psychological wounds stayed. That was something he could not rid himself of so easily. He still had nightmares that plagued him in his sleep, unwanted thoughts of his body being touched and forced into submission, which kept him from getting a good night’s sleep.

 

And in these moments of suffering, a small part of him felt he deserved some of it. His days trapped in the cell had brought up memories of his rape against Stark. Whenever he remembered, Loki felt a part of him deserved the punishment he endured with the clients. He took it all on himself, knowing he had done the same thing to another living creature. He had broken his own vow and now he deserved to be shunned...

 

It was a twisted logic and Loki knew it, but remembering Stark’s screams was enough to make him almost want to swallow the things that was pushed into him.

 

Loki’s only saving grace in that hell hole had been the thought of seeing Stark out of harm’s way and his firstborn child, safe and sound in his arms. Many days during the limited hours of reprieve, he pondered about how he was going to accomplish that. Was the child going to look more like him? Or will it carry a similar likeness of Stark? How will they raise the child? Perhaps Stark will have no intention of ever speaking to him again... in that case Loki will raise his child the way he would have liked to have been raised.

 

Every imaginary scene of happiness that he conjured within his mind made each client’s brutal requests bearable.

 

 _I don’t know when the Breeders will come for me again,_ Loki thought _. I need to make the most of this time._

 

With that said, Loki used the limited amount of his magic to probe at the walls of the cell. He didn’t recognize any magic surrounding them, although he couldn’t be completely sure of this without the full scale of his powers back. Perhaps he and Stark were not stuck on the ground like he had been on Gythras.

 

Loki could sense a small vibration under his feet that seemed to be working to keep him from floating upwards. It was artificial gravity.

 

 _Was this why Stark’s people had not rescued him yet?_ It would explain the reasons why they were both not found. The Midgarians seemed to lack the technological advancements of Asgard yet in their realm, so Loki guessed this was a high probability.

 

_That and the number of years that had passed since their capture..._

 

Prison food, as Loki soon discovered, was tasteless. The ones that were offered to him lacked any texture or flavor. Unlike the ones that Stark seemed to receive, his set of sustenance seemed to consist of water and liquid jelly. Somehow though, it managed to keep his body from collapsing, in spite of its dubious features.

 

Loki heard a sound and turned to find a piece of bread and meat placed on Stark’s table. The smell of actual food immediately reached his nose and Loki felt his mouth start to water. He felt his own stomach protest with him, urging him to steal the food. He pushed away the thought promptly.

 

Instead, Loki watched from the corner of his eyes to see if Stark would step out of his confinement. The man did not.

 

After a few hours, Loki watched the food disappear and then his own appeared in front of him. Reluctantly, Loki took the clear jelly and washed it down with water quickly.

 

x

 

_You are starving yourself._

 

That was what Loki deduced as he observed Stark from a distance for a week.

 

Promptly after their encounter, Loki had laid his head down on the ground (he had no sofa after he had thrown it at Tony on the first day, the creatures took it away as if in punishment) to sleep. The magic he drew from himself to inspect the cell had been taxing and taken up more of his energy than he thought.

 

After a while, he heard a noise. Immediately closing his eyes, Loki listened as he heard footsteps.

 

A spark of relief and nervousness ambushed him as he lay completely still. Slowly he barely opened his eyes and watched as Stark passed by his food. It was as if he hadn’t seen it. With curiosity, Loki continued to observe Stark as he went to lie on the sofa, turning around to briefly look at Loki before laying his head down on the sofa.

 

At the time, Loki hadn’t really thought much of it.

 

But a pattern emerged as Loki watched. He noticed how each time the food appeared, which was more frequent, Stark continued to ignore it. He could hear the man’s grumbling stomach incessantly cry out in protest, but the human seemed adamant in refusing to eat.

 

Loki wasn’t too sure if the man was being suicidal or if Stark had a plan. He guessed the latter.

 

The god wanted to intervene and he knew he should, now that there was another life involved. Loki would have if the circumstances allowed him morally to do so. But taking action would only cause Stark to hate him more, which was far from what he wanted after everything he’d done.

 

 _Talk to him then,_ a voice of reason urged him.

 

“Stark…” Loki began and hesitated, trying to find the right words.

 

He sat upright now, speaking towards Stark’s back, which was turned towards Loki. They had not shared a single word of conversation since the day he had offered to help Stark with his pain. It was hard to find the right words when guilt seemed to tinge his every syllable. But Loki tried now.

 

“Are you awake?”

 

The sudden drumming of the mortal’s heart confirmed it.

 

“Are you not hungry? You need your strength.”

 

Still no reply, but he knew Stark was listening to him.

 

“I will find a way to escape and free you. So please, eat. Do not lose hope.”

 

The last words seemed to move Stark, as the mortal turned around now to meet his gaze. There was bitterness on Stark’s face.

 

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

 

“Death will not suit you, Stark. You are a warrior of your people and the fight is only just beginning. I have done so many wrongs to you and I know nothing I do will repair it, but do not throw your life away.”

 

Stark frowned deeply, “You’re a liar. You don’t give a rat’s ass about me. All you care about is this monster that’s living inside of me... I’m just some kind of host. Once this thing is out, you’re probably not going to think twice about my so-called ‘well-being’.”

 

“I do care for you, Stark,” Loki answered as earnestly as he can. “I never wished for this to happen to you…. You may not wish to believe it, but I am on your side. Whatever you require from me, I will do it if it does not endanger your safety.”

 

Stark was getting up now and his face tinged with a bit of red around cheeks, full of rage.

 

“Oooh, _forgive me_ , but I have a very hard time believing anything that comes out of your mouth. Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy _fucking me_. I heard you moaning behind me, like the monster you are. I won’t ever forget it, you hear me? So no, what I do is none of your fucking business. Just leave me alone.”

 

Loki flinched but he listened, calmly, to Stark’s words.

 

“They will try and stop you from starving, Stark. I cannot protect you from them... Not yet...”

 

Stark scoffed as if he had heard a horrible joke.

 

“Like I said, I don’t need protecting. I’m not a princess for you push around. Let them come!” As Stark spoke those words, he raised his arms as if in rebellion. But Loki saw the man teeter a little.

 

“You haven’t eaten for days. Eventually, the babe will die. And then you will weaken. Then they may try something and I may not be able to save you from their methods.”

 

“Oh, you’d like that, won’t you? This thing can die for all I care!” Stark snarled spiteful, emitting a bitter laugh. “There’s really no end to your sadism is there, Rudolph?”

 

Frustration was building up in Loki in spite of himself and he tried to calm himself. The man was absolutely stubborn and incredibly foolhardy. Loki can tell Stark was trying to upset him. And it was working.

 

“I wish you no harm,” Loki repeated.

 

_“Stop talking!”_

 

As if on cue, Loki felt his own stomach grumble in response as Stark’s food reappeared in front of him. Stark laughed at him, an echo of spite as his eyes trailed over to the food and back to Loki. “It’s all yours!”

 

Stark turned his back again to Loki before the god could say anything. Loki did not reply, feeling shame for wanting to eat the food that smelled so good in front of him. But his appetite dwindled at the incessant feeling that nagged him. His insides felt like it was filled with static electricity, bouncing back and forth, making him anxious.

 

 _Tomorrow… I will try again tomorrow..._ Loki thought to himself, watching as Stark climbed back onto the sofa in a curled position, ready to sleep.

 

Stark was clearly adamant in sticking to his plans, whatever they were. Loki guessed it was retaliation against the Breeders. And definitely against him.

 

_Stark did not care for the babe the same way I do. How can I protect the child and still cause no harm to Stark?_

 

Loki’s fantasies of raising his child with Stark, the one he held onto during his torture on Gythras, foolish as they were, was instantly crushed within his mind. _It was absolutely unfathomable to even think Stark would want a future the way he imagined it…_

 

He felt nothing but a profound sense of sadness at the overwhelming emotion. It was to be expected… and yet, he had hoped.

 

Making as little sound as possible, Loki decided to forgo sleep for a few hours. Instead, he used a small chunk of his magic to reach out to the babe growing inside of Stark. He saw it floating, still healthy. But then he felt Stark’s body throbbing with pain, vibrations of it hitting Loki in waves. He could feel everything as if he were Stark lying on that same sofa.

 

Loki let go after a few seconds and realized he was drenched in sweat, panting for breath. He was exhausted as if he had been fighting against an unknown enemy for hours without end.

 

 _This is what Stark fights against every day... the hunger and the pain of unwanted creation…_ Loki knew he needed to relieve the man of this and fast. The babe was safe, which was a huge relief, but Stark was suffering.

 

 _Should he heal him? Take away that pain just for a short while?_ Stark was fast asleep now. He would not notice it, and his body will become stable if he did.

 

On any given occasion, Loki would have followed his actions through without a second thought and bore the consequences later. But…

 

 _Stark will hate you even more. He will find out eventually…_ A voice of reason warned.

 

 _He hates me now regardless. Keeping them both safe is what I need to do, regardless of Stark’s protests! He will thank me later._ Loki thought back in protest/

 

_No, he will not. Stark is not going to forgive you if you force him into anything._

 

Loki felt his heart sink as he realized what he had just been trying to admit to himself earlier to justify healing Stark. He had been about to take away Stark’s freedom as well. He was turning into the very constraints the Breeders were trying to place on them.

 

He watched the collar around Stark’s neck blink and then shimmer. He read the runes as it counted down each day. It read: “5 months”.

 

 _No,_ Loki decided, _I will not heal Stark… Not unless he asks directly._

 

-

 

The next day, Loki awoke to the smell of food. It hit him hard, temporarily overwhelming his senses. He opened his eyes to find Stark was surrounded by food, each unique in size and colors. He did not recognize them except in its basic forms - meat, vegetables, fruit or bread.

 

Stark was awake as well, staring at all this with sweat pouring down his face. His teeth were gritted and his palms were closed into tight fists, trembling with anger.

 

When Stark noticed he was awake, he looked at Loki with accusation. “Did you do this?”

 

“No.”

 

Stark glared at Loki for a moment, searching him of any sign of falsehood. Perhaps not able to find it, Loki saw Stark turn away and instead tilt his head upwards at the walls above them.

 

“ _You bastards!_ I’m not your pet! I’m not going to eat because you put more out! This thing is going to die with me unless you come down! If you value its life, then come and see me.”

 

Loki watched this all with a growing sense of respect. He knew just how hungry Stark was, unable to quench his hunger without giving into his captors’ desires.

 

With a yell, Stark grabbed the food surrounding him at the walls, frustration evident when he received no answer. He did this to anything he can get his hands on, getting messier as the juice of the food dripped onto the floor.

 

Loki stepped out of the way, his mind already at work. He needed time to formulate a plan to coincide with Stark’s.

 

By the time Stark was finished with his rampage, his white outfit was covered in purple smears and juice from the meat.

 

He saw Stark waver, losing his footing and then falling. Before he could help himself, he was catching Stark’s fall. He felt the man shudder first, then squirm violently to get away. Realizing his mistake, Loki immediately let go, his heart beating fast. He caught a glance of Stark’s fearful eyes, the anger have been replaced with it, widening in full circles.

 

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Stark screamed at Loki as he scrambled away from him.

 

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to- You were about to fall—”

 

“I told you… to leave me alone…” Stark whispered back to him. Loki could hear the man’s voice had suddenly become stuttered and low in volume, as if he was losing breath and unable to breathe properly enough to speak.

 

Loki gave a nod solemnly. He had only been trying to help… but Stark did not see it that way. He saw Loki as a monster that was going to attack him again, like last time. A fresh sheen of shame overwhelmed Loki.

 

“I will never harm you, Stark.” Loki promised. And he meant it.

 

“Just stay the fuck away from me.”

 

“I cannot leave you alone. The Breeders will use many ways to coax you to eat, Stark. The longer you prolong this, the further they will taunt you.”

 

Stark frowned at Loki, and the god can see he had caught the man’s attention. The man was slowly getting his composure back, standing back up. He didn’t seem to care that he was covered in slush from the food he rampantly threw down as waste.

 

“Breeders…?”

 

“Yes, that is what they call themselves. Their sole purpose is to force procreation on their victims.”

 

Loki heard Stark’s breath hitch in his throat, and his heart beat faster than ever. He wished he could spare Stark of the details he was about to share, but the man needed to know. Perhaps then Stark will rethink his tactics…

 

“You seem to know a lot about them. You sure you don’t work for them? How do I know you didn’t sign up for this sick experiment?”

 

“I would never have done what I did to you, Stark, if I were not drugged. But I do not excuse any of my actions upon you.”

 

Stark didn’t snap back at him this time. Loki wasn’t sure if this was a good thing, however. He could tell Stark was contemplating something within his mind.

 

“Tell me more about them. These _Breeders._ What do they want?”

 

“I do not have a clear understanding of them yet. But we have been captured and a handsome fee was most likely paid to have us copulate. Their focus now is to keep you alive… And if that is the case, they will force you to eat.”

 

“If it gets their attention, it’s worth it,” Stark responded back and Loki could hear the determination in his voice. “I’m going to get out of here.”

 

 _Tell him,_ Loki heard his voice of reason speaking to him urgently. _Do it._

 

_Why should I hurt him this way? Stark is doing this to gain freedom. If I speak now… I will be hated. He may never forgive and he could lose hope…._

 

 _But it I don’t tell him now… I may never do it,_ Loki thought as he starred into Stark’s earthy brown eyes, looking at him with ferocity.

 

“Stark, I have to tell you something. You need to know what I know before you embark on making any foolish mistakes-”

 

“I think I’ve heard enough,” Stark stopped him abruptly, angrily glaring at Loki.

 

_If I could, I will… but you need to know._

 

Loki felt as if a heavy weight was dropped in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t want to upset Stark more than he already was. He could tell he made things worse every time he tried to make them better. And yet he knew the truth needed to come out eventually, one way or another.The god was not deterred this time.

 

“This strategy may get the Breeders attention, but they will not let you go so easily. Your people may also not know where you are…”

 

“What are you on about?”

 

“What year is it for you, Stark?”

 

“2012, of course. It’s only been a few… months? Weeks? I don’t know. It’s hard to keep track of anything in this goddamn space. No windows. Only artificial light. It’s a cage and I’m stuck in here _with you_.”

 

Loki felt each word stab into him but he endured it nonetheless. What was more important was for Stark to listen to him and understand what he was trying to tell him.

 

“It is not 2012… It is the year 2015. We have been their prisoners for three years.”

 

As Loki finished speaking, he saw Stark’s face look stricken by the news. But then fury replaced the man’s expression. “You’re lying!”

 

“There is no point for me to lie about this.”

 

“You’re just messing with me, trying to bring me down. I’m getting out of here and you’re not going to bullshit me into believing your lies. Why would they want to keep us for three, long years anyway? I would have remembered it…”

 

Loki had considered this for a while, and the conclusion he had come down to at the end had been only one answer. His gaze went down to the small bump growing in Stark’s stomach.

 

If he looked closely, Loki can see part of Stark’s body had been modified. He could feel threads of magic woven in Stark’s skin, around the middle where a womb had been surgically implanted or perhaps grown into the man’s body. This kind of handiwork may not have been considered easy, even with magic involved. It could have taken years for them to perfect what Stark was now… not a man, not a woman. But a hybrid of two genders.

 

“No…” Stark breathed as he followed Loki’s gaze and the realization dawned on him at the theory Loki was implying.

 

The god could hear the anger ebb away from Stark’s voice, replacing itself with despair as the truth of years past dawned on him.

 

“I am sorry, Stark...”

 

“No, fuck, _no…”_

 

Stark fell to the ground as if the energy to stand had become worthless. He held his head, gripping his hair in frustration. Tears were pouring freely now from Stark’s eyes and Loki wished he could stop them. He wanted to comfort Stark, and yet he knew he was probably the last person Stark ever wanted to speak with again.

 

Loki wanted to kneel down and embrace the man, but he was sure the best thing he could do now was give the man some distance. He could feel the devastation emanating from Stark.

 

With a breath, Stark screamed in rage. It was a mournful, helpless cry. Loki stood still, hearing the man’s pain and sorrow, and it penetrated through to his heart and shook him to his core.

 

Slowly, the scream dwindled and died out, salty tears still wet on Stark’s cheeks. The man didn’t look at Loki in the eye when he spoke.

 

“Why me…?” Stark rasped. “Out of the 7 billion human beings in this world they could have chosen…”

 

Loki didn’t know quite how to answer Stark. He had his theories though. “They are paid by a client. I am presuming it is a wealthy one. These creatures would need to be paid heavily for their expertise. I believe the client is the one who chose you and me to be here. I do not know why, but I think it has to do with you winning the battle of Midgard…”

 

 _The client may be the Chitauri army’s true master…_ Loki was never informed of who it could be that may have been governing the Chitauri leader, Ashrat’s, actions, but he had heard whispers.

 

There was a powerful being, roaming the farther realms, devastating peaceful planets and leaving trails of death in their wake. Perhaps it was them and they were punishing him and using Stark to get the result. It could be that they did not care if babe lived or died, and only this devastating experience of physical and mental torture was what the client was aiming for.

 

Loki was pulled back from his thoughts as he saw Stark got up. The man’s white clothes were drenched in colors draining from the scattered food that was still there, left uncleaned on the floor. The man did not look at Loki in the eye when he vanished into the bathing area.

 

The god stood where he was, the fluttering in his gut growing. It made him sick somewhat. Had he broken Stark? Was this what the Breeders had been trying to do? Or the client?

 

He needed to protect Stark. Loki felt it even more urgently now. If the client was determined to bring them both in after the wake of the battle on Midgard in 2012, then they were most likely being watched closely. His forced submission to accept the terms given as a prisoner to the Breeders was planned ahead of time, relying solely on his weakness towards the unborn child.

 

 _They intend to keep us here indefinitely so that we will not get in the client’s way…_ Loki deduced. The thought sent an icy chill down his spine.

 

x

 

After the conversation, Loki did not approach or speak to Stark. He watched, however, trying as much as possible to keep his silence and space between them.

 

The mess on the floor had been cleaned by the room itself after a few minutes and replaced with a plate of cooked meat, bread and vegetables on the table. And he saw Stark approach it and then immediately guzzle down on the meat as if his life depended on it. Loki felt relief at seeing him eat, but the approach he had taken to accomplish this made him sick of himself.

 

As soon as everything was consumed, Stark wiped his lips and without a glance at Loki, went over to the sofa to lie on it. Sleep seemed to take over Stark quickly as his body sagged after only a few minutes.

 

Tired as he was, Loki kept himself awake and alert while Stark slept, thinking through the many details that had could use against the Breeders and the client.

 

His ears caught a sound from the other side of the wall, and Loki immediately felt something stab into his arm. As soon as it did, he realized he was feeling very heavy and sleepy than ever. He looked at the where the source of the pain came from and saw one of the creatures had come in now and was approaching him.

 

Loki sluggishly tried backing away, feeling his arms and legs turn useless. His whole body was heavy as a stone as he fell onto the floor, the effects of the drug administered into him running its course, filling through his veins. His vocal chords, however, were still working.

 

“Stay away from Stark. Do what you wish with me, but do not touch him.”

  
The Breeders, two of them to be exact, stared down at his collapsed body with their slithering tentacles for faces. They held no expression, their eyes, nose, and lips non-existent, but Loki could almost sense their smug satisfaction. They did not bother answering him.

 

Instead, Loki was dragged out of the cell and the darkness overtook him soon after.

 

x

 

The Breeders soon came for Tony as well. Luckily for him, he was fast asleep, the drugs laid in the food working. One of the Breeders tasked with this job carried the human out of the cell and into the darkness of the corridor.

 

Their specialized infirmary, the one they use to check on the health and progress of their victim’s pregnancies, was a few minutes away from the cells aligned around them. The Breeder slithered into the room and was met with a two of its fellow companions.

 

“Lay the creature down” _,_ one of the Breeders with a gruesome scar around its head commanded. The human was laid down on the table and the other Breeder, pale colored in comparison to its companions, wiggled its tentacles rather excitedly.

 

“A success… The creature’s body has finally accepted the fusion!”

 

The one with the scar purred in approval. “Yes…”

 

One large tentacle slithered over Tony’s body and placed itself over the small bump on his stomach. Small suckers puckered around the skin and glowed, an eerie pink color illuminating the room. The infirmary had been darkened on purpose, for they despised light mostly as they can produce their own, but it emanated now to reveal the architecture of the venue.

 

As the other Breeder, the excited one, produced the necessary tools for preparing Tony for the inspection, the third Breeder that had brought the human into the room caught a glimpse of the diagrams outlining research regarding the human anatomy on the walls. It was intricate and indecipherable, only understandable by the ones who were fluent in the art of ‘fusing’.

 

The Breeders had called their work ‘fusing’ since the beginning of time and felt pride for it. They felt no remorse - they did not have enough space in their brains for such an emotion.

 

Among the diagrams, it showed the number of attempts that led up to their specimen’s success. The Breeder could see them all - each one was written as failed, with the first remnants of Tony Stark’s human body being sliced open carefully. They took out the unwanted parts, especially the reproductive system that produced semen. That would not be necessary for them to keep.

 

Creating the female reproductive system had definitely been pricy and time consuming for them. But their client had been adamant in their succeeding and they did not want to let their best client down. They were well rewarded for their efforts - the client had been thoughtful enough to send them many specimens from different worlds to them for their continued cooperation.

 

An year passed since their initial retrieval however. The organs they created for the human was painstakingly slow to adapt, and many times their experimentation failed. A few spells of magic and potions also helped to keep Anthony Stark’s body alive and well. Once the womb was finally adapting inside of the human’s body, they continued with their tests.

 

The act of insemination was another mystery for the Breeders. They devoted their time to observing the primal actions of the humans and the Jotun and perfecting their specimen so that he would be ready for the act. The Jotun was also prepared meticulously as well, lacing their sex drugs with magic perceptible only for the Jotun. The Breeders found it curious the client had specifically asked for this, but then they did not question their clients. They paid them well for this.

 

“Help us, Brother.”

 

The Breeder with the investigation apparatus seemed to have difficulty placing the item into its proper place. The human had started regain consciousness, sluggish movements of resistance forming within the specimen’s legs.

 

“Of course.”

 

With a single, swift movement, the Breeder that brought the human to the infirmary silenced the human’s movements completely by piercing the skin with its pure tranquilizer. It immobilized its victims but kept them awake through the process.

 

The creature hummed and it sounded grating for all ears to hear except to that of the Breeders. To them, it was a song of triumph and satisfaction.

 

If the Breeder had any eyes, it would have seen Anthony Stark’s gaze of helpless anger and tears. If it felt any pity, they would have seen those tears roll down his cheeks as the other Breeder pushed the apparatus inside the man’s entrance.

 

“A month passed. Is the specimen healthy?”

 

All three Breeders in the room looked at the glowing eye above them, projecting the floating fetus. The Breeder with the tentacles over the human’s stomach gave out a sound which affirmed their question.

 

“The fetus is healthy. The specimen is weak, having not eaten for a week. We will need to give him the necessary human revitalization. Keep the human here a little before release. Sister, watch over the specimen and feed him…”

 

As if on cue, both lights faded. The projection disappeared and the apparatus was pulled out. The ‘Sister’ nodded. The ‘Brother’ turned to the other Breeder that had let go of the specimen’s stomach now and was washing its tentacles with acid.

 

“Shall I join the others, Father?”

 

The ‘Father’ finished cleaning itself and turned now. “Yes, Brother. Go join the others. The Jotun will need to be prepared again. Gythras is far and we will need to accommodate with the crowd’s demand.”

 

Brother gave a nod of understanding, “This Jotun is quite popular. It will help us with our Cultivation.”

 

Sister and Father purred in agreement, their tentacles glowing orange with delight. “Yes, the Jotun has been very good in its Cultivation. Ensure our success, Brother.”

 

Brother left soon after and felt immense pride. The Breeders legacy will prevail and the Cultivation was the key. So long as all they continued to keep their clientele happy and satisfied, their work can continue without any disturbance.

 

It slithered into a different room, which was a cockpit of sorts. A few of its other Mother and Fathers had been converging around their prized specimen. The Jotun lay in its cocoon and the door to the small spaceship attached to their large shipping vessel was already open.

 

“Brother, come, come. Gythras awaits.”

 

Brother slithered in, helping his Sister, Mother and Fathers, with the cocoon. Once the Jotun was safely attached on the rig of their small spaceship, Brother closed the door to the ship. It gave out a smooth sound, like shifting sands.

 

“Did you catch a glance of the Human, Brother? What was it like?” Sister, a slightly small looking Breeder with looser tentacles asked. It seemed eager to hear every detail from Brother.

 

“It was small. Far more than I anticipated. It also feels, like most specimens we have encountered. The fetus was healthy too.”

 

The ship started to move of its own accord, commandeered by another system connected to the central vessel they were just leaving behind. It gave off a small beep in response, informing the two Breeders within the small ship that they were heading to their destination and Gythras was a few hours away from their current location.

 

“I am glad the fetus is alive and well. The Jotun has been prepared. In his first stay, 54 specimens were Cultivated. I do hope there will be more.”

 

Brother purred in response to Sister’s enthusiasm. It had no doubt there will be more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the Breeders are awful, but they don't know they are because they don't really feel the same way we do. They also don't have proper names, which I think is quite creepy.
> 
> Thor is also motivated now. Let's see what happens. 
> 
> Your comments make my day and motivate me to write more ! :))


	7. Endure

_Cold..._ that was the first thing he thought. Tony opened his eyes and found himself floating in the middle of an expanse of blue. It was a vast ocean. Somehow, he was breathing without anything to aid him as the surface above him glowed dimly.

 

He looked down and found the darkness below him, a void staring back at him. It made him panic and he was gripped by fear as he also realized his stomach was round… and heavy.

 

With a start, Tony gasped and all the air he had that kept him from suffocating left him in an instant. He struggled now to breathe, thrashing inside the ocean, desperate to bring himself up to the surface. But his body was as heavy as a stone, and the more he tried to swim upwards, the harder he seemed to sink.

 

A terrified scream escaped Tony and they came out in a flurry of bubbles, barely giving out a sound. Water rushed into his lungs and he felt himself choking, the taste of seawater on his tongue.

 

He looked around his surroundings frantically and then he felt a huge tentacle wrap around his ankle. With wide, reddening eyes, Tony struggled to break free, fear taking over him. Soon, another large tentacle wrapped around his neck, arms, stomach. They were everywhere.

 

He felt the slimy tentacles wrapping around him. He was barely conscious, his body having slowly given up in trying to surface back to the top. Even then, he was able to recognize what had trapped him. He was tangled in the Breeder’s tentacled face, which was two times bigger than the last time he had seen it, encompassing his own body.

 

Tony woke up to find himself screaming his lungs out, thrashing in his sleep. He looked around him hysterically, the nightmare still vivid in his mind.

 

 _It’s not real… It’s not real…_ Tony repeated, panting as he tried to calm his drumming heartbeat.

 

In a rush, the recent memory of the forced inspection by the creatures came back to him. They had drugged him. Again. Then examined him against his will so that they can check on the thing growing inside of him. He couldn’t stop shivering.

 

As he looked around more closely, though, Tony realized he was back in the white expanse of his cell. He sighed a little in relief until he realized he may not be alone. He turned quickly to see if Loki was here, but he wasn’t able to see the god anywhere.

 

 _They took Loki away too…_ Tony thought absently. He felt his body relax just a fraction. The effects of the nightmare, however, made him more tired and drained of energy even though he had been sleeping for god knows how long.

 

He was clothed again as well, this time in a slightly light bluish outfit. It was disturbing to find that the Breeders had given him something other than white to wear. Why would they bother?

 

Tony pulled himself up and found to his utmost relief that he was far lighter than he had been on the dream. His stomach was still close to flat, and only those that squinted would have noticed he had a bump in his belly.

 

 _Three years..._ That had been what Loki had said before he’d fallen asleep.

 

_Was Loki telling the truth? Why would he have any reason to lie about this? There’s no way for me to verify it. Loki could have been lying to get my attention._

 

But he had seen the sincerity in Loki’s eyes and he couldn’t deny it. No matter how much he loathed Loki, the truth that the god seemed to believe reflected back at him then.

 

Tony pulled up the loose shirt that he wore to look at the small, protruding bump. It was an unnatural sight. The new reality of his situation hit him hard.

 

If three years had passed since his capture, then that meant his team had probably tried and failed to find him. Did it mean he was in a remote location so far off the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D couldn’t trace him? How had Loki known what year they were in?

 

Tony rubbed his stomach hesitantly, as if his belly was not his own. It didn’t move or anything, which scared him even more. After all, the thing inside of him was a living creatures. An alien baby. And he was its host.

 

The memory of the fetus resurfaced inside of his mind. He trembled at the feeling of unwanted tentacles entrapping him on that examination table, unable to move an inch as his eyes had watched the projection of the unnatural phenomenon glowing above his head. It had become a bit larger than before - the size of his palm - and had a small form that seemed... human. Or at least, what he remembered human fetuses looked like when he saw them in a nature documentary on TV once.

 

Tony wished he had a weapon to cut into himself so that he could dig in and rip the thing out. Even if he bled, it was probably better than suffering the prolonged agony of seeing this thing grow. He’ll give it to Loki, if he could.

 

With a deep and tired sigh, Tony knelt and then lay on the hard floor, disregarding his usual sofa. His trembling still did not stop, and he knew he was having some sort of panic attack. It was getting hard for him to breath. Closing his eyes, he tried to erase the memory of the dream and the forced examination. _Were these creatures going to continue doing this to him until he had a full belly?_

 

Tony didn’t know what to feel or do anymore. If he had been stuck here for three years without rescue, what could he possibly do now that will help him get out?

 

He curled into a fetal position and tried to breath normally. At least he wasn’t feeling too much pain or sickness today.

 

He wondered where Pepper, Rhodey and all of his team must be now.

 

_Did they think I was dead? Or could they still be looking?_

 

Tony wanted to hope that they were chasing after him, because he would have done the same thing for them if he were in the same position. He would do anything for the people he loved and trusted with his life. While he doubted the Avengers team or SHIELD had continued their search after three years, he hoped his friends were still trying.

 

Because if they weren’t, he’ll have to find other ways to get out of here.

 

 _Maybe Loki knows more than he lets on..._ he thought for a moment, but Tony shook it away. He felt his body stiffen at the thought of the god. He didn’t want to think about the god. Tony was stuck with him in this cell for long enough. All he wanted now was to forget everything that had been done to him and focus on escaping.

 

And yet he knew there was no escaping what was already inside of him.

 

_Wherever Loki was… I really don’t care._

 

At least, that’s what Tony kept telling himself.

 

x

 

x

 

x

 

The door opened and Loki saw a light blind him as he was swept back into consciousness. He blinked vigorously, trying to adjust his bearings.

 

_So… he was back on the despicable planet._

 

The chains around his wrists were tightly secured again, rubbing on his skin and he was naked this time, his clothes having been taken away while he was unconscious. The cell permeated of sex, sweat and filth. The air was also lukewarm as well, making his skin feel clammy and humid. It already made him feel unclean.

 

From the direction of the light, Loki saw two shadows form and he looked at it groggily as it approached him.

 

“Hmm, seems like this one’s been drugged. It’s a handsome specimen though,” The shadow spoke. Loki saw the form but it looked blurred still.

 

“Servant, make sure I am not disturbed. Tell me, how long do I have?”

 

“One hour, my prince.”

 

“Alright. If I don’t like it, do I get to kill it?”

 

The shadowy figure, which Loki was now able to see was a tall male dressed in a dark ruby coat, stood interacting with a shorter, white skinned creature. It was trembling in the male’s presence.

 

“My fair prince, I am very sorry to say that we cannot kill the… product. It would be highly advised not to break this policy.”

 

The ‘Prince’ seemed to laugh at this, “Oh _really?_ Interesting. None of the whores here have any strict policies for retirement. Perhaps this one is special… Leave me.”

 

The creature, a faerie from the looks of it, immediately gave a bow and disappeared, closing the door quickly behind it. Loki watched it go and wished he could follow in its footsteps.

 

Crushing his longing, Loki looked up to face the ‘Prince’. He didn’t recognize its species, but the Prince looked fairly human. Or Asgardian. Or perhaps an illusion of it.

 

Loki glared venomously at the client, hoping to strike some sort of fear into the creature. Perhaps then it may consider twice before touching him.

 

What was this Prince after? Torture? He’d heard the conversation the Prince was having, and the male seemed to have no qualms whatsoever towards violence as long as he got what he wanted.

 

“I am Prince Bastien,” the male client, Bastien, announced and smiled at him, his teeth looking sharp in some areas. Loki wished he could erase the smile off of his face completely.

 

“I do not care,” Loki growled back in response, eyes burning with hatred.

 

“You’re going to. I am going to be king soon and then all of this is going to be _mine_. Until then…”

 

There was a sudden tug and Loki, unprepared, felt the chains that were pulling him up to the ceiling loosen. His knees slammed onto the hard surface of the floor and he hissed in pain. The chains that had held both his wrists up tightened again over his head, but this time Loki’s back was pulled onto the floor. An invisible force around the chains also wrapped around his neck and he gave out a choked gasp. It tightened, but it was loose enough for him to barely breath.

 

His legs, which were still free, tried striking out at Bastien in front of him. He heard the man shuffle out of the way with an amused smirk on his face.

 

“Feisty… I’ve never had the pleasure to fuck a Frost Giant before. Would I feel the ice in your veins? Ooh, this is going to be a _lot_ of fun. I’ve heard everyone calling you Silvertongue around here… I do hope I can enjoy that sweet mouth of yours again at a later time. But I need release today.”

 

Loki did not stop struggling. He knew his muscles were going to ache after this but he didn’t care. As soon as he felt the client’s hand on his knees, he kicked hard, hoping this was enough to cause a bruise. Anything to rub that smile off of the man’s face. Instead, he felt Bastien grab his ankles with an amused grin.

 

“I’m not like one of your other clients, Silvertongue. Or is it Loki? Laufeyson? Odinson? Really, you have too many names to count. I think I’ll stick with the one you’re most famous for.”

 

Another hand slid down Loki’s thigh. Loki squirmed furiously. The Prince was unexpectedly strong though as his legs were spread apart, revealing his limp cock and entrance.

 

In spite of all the abuse Loki had gone through only a few weeks ago, the god couldn’t stop himself from shivering uncontrollably. _I’m not going to show any fear against this bastard!_

 

“You do look promising.”

 

More chains snaked around his ankles as the Prince wrapped it around and Loki felt them constrict his movements. A rush of cold air swept by him, and for a moment the client let go.

 

Loki watched with pure disgust as the client started to undress, pulling his ruby coat off and the undergarments that came with it. The male’s skin, which had been hidden under the clothing, was tinged red in the middle. It was as if something had dipped the client in red paint and failed to rub the colors off. Loki can see its eloganted dick beneath its muscled chest, standing up in attention.

 

 _“I will kill you, filth…”_ Loki hissed with a venomous tone. He meant it - he would drive a knife through the client’s heart and cut out the man’s tongue if he could.

 

Bastien seemed unperturbed by the threat as he came up to Loki again, grabbing the god and straddling Loki’s legs. Loki flinched as Bastien’s hands slid over the inner part of his thighs and towards his chest. It was sickening to feel the client’s touch slithering over him now.

 

“I’ve heard all of this before. But none of them really mean it in the end,” The male laughed cruelly into Loki’s face and pouted like a petulant child. Bastien’s eyes gleamed with lust. “They always give me what I want.”

 

Loki felt the creature’s cock brush around his vulnerable entrance and he struggled, thrashing in his bonds. The chains clanked in response, but they did not budge. Hatred crackled inside of him and he tried to move himself away or push back Bastien. The intrusion hovered over him ominously and he could see Bastien’s mocking smile spreading.

 

At this very moment, he wished he could be somewhere else, far from here. He closed his eyes and thought of his child, of Stark, and the cell they had been trapped in. And then the conversation, before he was taken away. He could still remember the anguish in Tony’s eyes when he had spoken the truth about their predicament. Had it been worth it?

 

 _Why am I enduring this…_ Loki thought silently to himself. He knew the answer, felt it in his bones. It was guilt. It was the shame. It was everything he had tried, for years, to push down and failed, ultimately, to do so. He, Loki Laufeyson, was always a slave to his own whims. He had hurt others so he could look away from his own pain. But then he had done the most unforgivable deed, implanted a part of himself into Stark, and now he was going to be a father.

 

_A father…_

 

No matter what happened now, or who was fucking him, or torturing him, Loki knew his purpose was now absolute. He may have failed to become a better person before the battle of New York and mistreated many to get what he wanted in the past. But he had an obligation to make things right.

 

_They need me._

 

“Pleasure me, slave, and I might just go easy on you,” the Prince’s command echoed in Loki’s ear.

 

Loki braced himself, ignoring the client, as he felt the creature’s thick cock push in hard, striking into him forcefully. The god gasped aa he felt himself being filled, agony of the acutest kind shooting through his body as the intrusion pushed itself all the way in, splitting him apart.

 

Loki writhed as he felt the friction and burn. He clenched his teeth, trembling until finally, he felt Bastien’s cock heavily seated inside of him.

 

“ _Very_ good...”

 

Loki heard Bastien groan above him and the god imagined his body separating from his soul. The pain he felt earlier seemed irrelevant. All he wanted to do now was get this over with as quickly as possible.

 

The thought of Stark and the child continued to linger in his mind like a constant compass. Even if Stark only felt hatred for him, Loki knew he couldn’t forsake the man just because Stark did not love him or feel any sort of empathy for him. Even if Stark did not carry his child... Loki owed a debt.

 

_I will repay what I have done to you... I am going to free you..._

 

Loki watched himself fading out of his body, feeling disconnected. His magic must have activated inside of him, as he was now looking down at his own body, harshly used, crushed under the weight of the client as the chains clanked incessantly, like rocks beating on the floor with a clank, clank, _clank._

 

The Prince, Loki realized as he watched absently, was far larger than he looked or had originally thought. In comparison, his body, even as a Jotun, seemed small, straining to accommodate the intrusion that pumped into him back and forth, his entrance starting to bleed. Blood dripped down the floor and a puddle was growing.

 

 _I am going to make you suffer,_ Loki vowed darkly.

 

He felt the magical influence quickly subside as Loki suddenly felt a tug and an explosion of pain, the force pulling him back into his physical body. Loki let out a gasp, but it was soon pushed down. He was not going to give the client any more reasons to enjoy this.

 

The onslaught of the male on top of him and the agony made Loki’s body shudder uncontrollably. He wanted to scream. It took all his will power not to do so. The Prince was stretching and ripping into him violently, shredding his entrance, not caring if the damage was lasting or not.

 

The client panted heavily about him, excitement and lust in his voice, and Loki struggled to break free. He could hear Bastien’s filthy groans and felt the droplets of sweat dripping down to his own, bare chest.

 

_“Be honored you’re servicing me, whore.”_

 

Bastien pounded into Loki sharply, and Loki jerked and spasmed beneath him, unable to break free. But he was silent.

 

“Scream!”

 

Loki glared up at him, fighting the excruciating pain as he hissed through gritted teeth.

 

_“No.”_

 

Instead, he lunged like a viper and found the Prince’s neck. The chains around his neck did him no favors. When his teeth sank into flesh, his air constricted as did the chains wrapped tightly around him, strangling his airway. But he bit hard nonetheless, sinking his teeth into the Prince’s exposed neck, breaking skin and tasting blood.

 

He heard a pained scream and felt the Prince pull out of him abruptly. Loki hissed at the sudden withdrawal, trying to catch his breath as the chains tangled around his neck loosened.

 

“You _bitch_!” Bastien backhanded Loki in the face and the god, unable to get up from the chains wrapped around him, turned again and then smiled back at the Prince, blood smeared around his lips.

 

“I am no whore.”

 

Bastien held the area that bled with one hand, seething in anger.

 

Then slowly, Loki noticed a smile creep up on his lips. It made Loki frown at the sight of it.

 

_What was the mad man smiling about?_

 

“ _You’re not boring...!_ I thought you’d be like the others. They always submit to me at the end. It’s what they were born for after all, bred to serve and be fucked by me whenever I need them. But you’re not like them.”

 

The prince kneeled down towards Loki’s side and this time, the man grabbed the god’s limp penis. Exposed, Loki gasped at the sudden movement. He heard the man laugh amusedly.

 

“I think we’ll enjoy ourselves a lot, Silvertongue. I do love a challenge. I’ll find what makes you fight me and I’ll deprive you of everything you hold dear. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll wish you were always by my side.”

 

“It will not happen,” Loki snarled and when he did, he felt Bastien’s hand stroke the god’s cock once. It was uncomfortable.

 

“Stop!”

 

Bastien only laughed, amusement evident in his eyes.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

He continued to stroke the god’s member and Loki felt his body reacting to the touch.

 

_No, no, no!_

 

Loki struggled to stop himself from feeling the growing ecstasy building in his cock. Bastien’s hand was incessant. Each stroke made his legs weak and he was completely trapped. He struggled in the client’s grip, completely at his mercy.

 

Bastien gave out a small chuckle and then leaned his head, licking Loki’s length. Loki felt the tongue stretch over his length and he felt himself trembling. Humiliation dragged him down as he realized he was feeling aroused by the client’s advances.

 

“Stop!”

 

“Mmm, I do think you’re enjoying yourself here.”

 

A few more strokes and it brought Loki to the brink of climax. The need for release was dire and he squirmed, this time in pain. And then he felt Bastien let go of him. Loki felt that loss now, even though he knew he didn’t want it.

 

He looked into Bastien’s cold gaze on him, a smile curving on his lips.

 

“Did you think I will give _you_ what you want? Do you feel what I took from you, Silvertongue? You took my release. I am taking yours now.”

 

“You will regret every breath you take from here on forth for touching me,” Loki snarled. The pent up heat and desire for release was still there, mocking him, the same way Bastien looked at him now with sick laughter on his tongue.

 

“I like your spirit. But you talk too much. Next time I come, I will silence you. Now… where was I?”

 

Bastien was quick to drag Loki back to him before he was settling his cock back inside of Loki.

 

Loki didn’t bother to insult the client anymore. He wanted to finish his time with this disgusting, horrid creature that lived off of pain. In a sickening way, it almost reminded him of himself. He had been ruthless as well, doing anything to gain power. He had been a Prince once too. But the one large distinction was the savagery in which this client took him now.

 

No, he was a mischievous being at heart, but not a sadist like this “prince”. He was better than him.

 

“Yes, yes...” Bastien moaned into Loki and then with a final push, Loki felt hot come spilling into him in bursts. He wished he could release the uncomfortable heat that still resided in his own cock as well. He will find a way to relieve himself, but not now.

 

Loki felt the man’s cock slip out of him and felt liquid oozing out of his ass. He felt all his nerve ends burn in pain and his body felt hot, especially around the middle.

 

“Oh, what a sight you are. I should have come here sooner. Shame I only booked you for one, it’s already time.”

 

A hand grabbed Loki’s face, forcing him to make direct eye contact with Bastien. _“Don’t forget me, Silvertongue.”_

 

Loki spoke nothing in return, instead spitting into Bastien’s face. The client recoiled and cursed, saliva dripping on his sharp face. Loki felt a small fraction of satisfaction at that and he laughed back at the client now, just to mock him. He smiled even more as he saw Bastien glare back at him with murder in his eyes.

 

“Count yourself lucky I _like_ you. That and the stupid policy your owners have over you!” Bastien snarled as he wiped his face with a towel and started to clean himself as well.

 

 _The Breeders do not want me dead…_ Loki thought at the remark, not bothering now to look at the client that had sexually abused him earlier. He instead focused the minimal amount of magic he had towards his bruised opening. He had only a moment before the next client was about to come bursting in and the less pain he felt, the better.

 

_The creatures wanted him to suffer. That was the only reason for putting him on this planet. Or perhaps there was another purpose for this torture. But either way, he was going to have to pay his dues to keep Stark and his child alive._

 

Loki flicked an eye over to the client, who had dressed now and was looking back at him now.

 

“I’ll be seeing you again, Jotun. Remember me!”

 

The door to the cell slammed shut, the air sealing itself in and Loki felt the chains around his wrists loosen a little. The chains around his ankles and neck unwound itself as well, much to his surprise. He was able to get up on the floor properly.

 

With a swift motion, Loki grabbed a hold of his cock, still painfully hard. In his mind’s eyes, he found himself looking at an imaginary image of himself kissing Stark. He ached to touch the human, not in the way he had done so the first time, but in the proper way. He wanted to embrace Stark gently, hold him steadily as they kissed and enjoyed each other’s touch. He wanted to make the man happy.

 

He spilled into his palm, the euphoria of the fantasy leaving him and he laid on the ground, panting. _Had he just come to the image of Tony Stark?_

 

Loki heard a blip and then he saw, from the corner of his eye, the machine that was coded to clean him. But this time, it was holding a vial of some sort. Loki didn’t know what, but he didn’t like it. It was different from its usual routine of cleaning Loki’s entrance. What was the vial for?

 

“Stay away,” Loki warned at the AI, even though he knew it was not alive and only followed commands. The AI was a floating oval-shaped machine, and one of its arms held the vial.

 

“Do. Not. Move… You. Will. Submit. Your. Semen. Here… Then. Proceed. To. Be. Cultivated.”

 

“Cultivated…” Loki whispered under his breath. Slowly, a realization dawned on him as he understood why he was trapped on this planet and why he was used for sex.

 

The Breeders were collecting semen from him! But for what? More experimentation? Did the creatures even have an endgame in mind?

 

Anger burned in the pit of his stomach and Loki threw his come onto the floor. The remnants of it splashed indignantly on the floor and the machine was scooping it up. Once it did, the machine turned to Loki.

 

“Do. Not. Move… You. Will. Be. Cultivated… Obey.”

 

Loki didn’t hesitate nor think as he used his free hand to slam into the machine. His fingers ached but he didn’t care as he crushed the machine. Electricity and sparks jumped out and the machine’s droning voice, echoing its repeated commands, died out quickly. The vial shattered, glass spraying all over the floor.

 

With a dunk, Loki dropped the machine on the floor carelessly.

 

_What have I done…_

 

The machine fizzed and with one last _“Obey”,_ the lights went out. Loki watched it ‘die’. He felt no sadness for the emotionless machine, but there was no satisfaction either. If he displeased the Breeders, the consequences could come back to Stark. And yet he had gone ahead and destroyed the machine.

 

Before he could do think of anything else, Loki turned as he heard the door open. He saw it was a female creature with large eyes and tighten up hair. It was dressed elegantly as if she had stepped out of some sort of office. But the look on her face could very well have been made of stone.

 

When she opened her mouth, her tongue came out in short spurts as if she were a snake. And when Loki looked closely, he saw her eyes were in slits like a serpent’s. She held a clear tablet of some kind, and words flicked over them. She was looking at them for a moment and then at Loki with an annoyed frown.

 

“Items destroying property... really not my day.”

 

The female creature pressed something on her tablet and then Loki felt his chains around his wrists pulling him up suddenly. The god hissed in pain, as he was suspended again in midair with his arms stretched over his head. He glared in the female creature’s direction.

 

The female looked back at him with a glare of her own.

 

“Item number #681, you have violated your contract terms. As it were, you get one warning and one only. Do not do so again, or they will withdraw your privileges.”

 

“My privileges?” Loki spoke with a bitter tone. “And what will that be?”

 

The female creature’s tongue sped in and out as if tasting the air. A small smile twitted on her lips. “Count yourself lucky, 681. Most of these items do not last very long. They expire rather fast. It is, I believe, a privilege to continue breathing. But death does not stop us from pleasing our guests…”

 

The serpentine woman pushed one more button on the tablet and left the cell. Loki saw from the corner of his eye a replica of the machine he had just broken floating towards him.

 

With a weary sigh, the god this time did not resist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really not making it easy for Tony and Loki, but it will get better.


	8. Hope

******January 31, 2014**

 

**Malibu, California**

 

“Rhodey, this is wrong- I shouldn’t be here… This isn’t right,” Pepper Potts whispered anxiously into James Rhodes (or most knew him as “Rhodey” for his nickname) held Pepper’s shoulder reassuringly. They were both wearing black, in accordance to the official funeral ceremony that commenced before them.

 

Around them stood, all clothed in black, members of S.H.I.E.L.D (including Nick Fury, Maria Hill and Phil Coulson, who Pepper was surprised to see was alive and well. Not that she was upset by this, except for the fact that she couldn’t find Tony), the Avengers team (excluding Thor Odinson who had disappeared and was hard to get in contact with) and the rest of the people who worked at Stark Industries and considered Tony Stark a good boss, business partner or friend.

 

“We looked everywhere, Pep,” Rhodey whispered back, and he was holding onto Pepper’s shoulder rigidly. He was frowning as well. As a matter of fact, almost all of the people attending the funeral had looks of discontent. The fact of the matter was, the mystery of Tony Stark’s disappearance was never solved. But there was no peace to be found, not until the man’s name was engraved in stone.

 

The wind blew strong through the graveyard where they stood, solemnly except for Pepper Potts, and watched as the priest before them lowered an empty, black casket to the open ground. It creaked a little as it went down and Pepper felt her tears spilling.

 

She wasn’t sad - no, she was _angry._ Why were they burying an empty casket, when they should be continuing to look for Tony? It was ridiculous and wrong.

 

Pepper looked at the faces of the Avengers team, who she had come to know well over the years since Tony’s disappearance. Somber faces included Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner and Nick Fury… They all stopped looking in the end.

 

Their priorities strayed when London was attacked by the elves or other incidents that took their attention away from the case.

 

And to be frank, Pepper and Rhodey had also become distracted with the incident of the Mandarin and Aldrich Killian in the previous year, especially after Happy had gotten gravely hurt. Fortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D helped to stop Killian from hurting anyone else in the end and Tony’s technology also helped to bring a stop to that - Jarvis was, as always, a great help.

 

Pepper knew all of them did their best in between life to find Tony, but it just wasn’t enough. _Her_ efforts weren’t enough. They may not have believed that Tony Stark was alive anymore, but some part of her, an instinctive part of her, knew Tony was alive. There was no way that stubborn boss of hers could possibly disappear and die. Once she found him, she was going to give him an earful. At least, she had hoped that day would come sooner.

 

“We are gathered here to say farewell to Anthony Howard Stark and to commit him into the hands of God…” The hollow words of the Priest performing the ceremony echoed in Pepper’s ears. She wasn’t listening so much though. Her thoughts wandered, analyzing the information she had over and over again.

 

After the invasion of New York, Pepper had given Tony a long lecture. She was furious - once again her stupid boss and good friend had risked his life and almost died in the process to get that missile away from New York. Not that she wasn’t grateful - of course she was. But Tony Stark had a knack for danger and risks were something he took too often. She always had to tell him off on it, which was annoying as hell, but it was worth it if Tony listened. Most of the time the man didn’t if it meant saving someone. And secretly, Petter felt proud of him.

 

When word of Tony’s disappearance reached Pepper’s ear, she was one of the first to know. Her phone had rung and she heard Jarvis’s voice through her Stark Phone’s speaker, urgently informing her of what had happened. She’d hurried to the scene and found S.H.I.E.L.D agents and the Avengers team already there. The chatter she heard were mostly words starting with, “gone”, “taken”, “who”, “what”, “how”, “when” and “maybe the Chitauri-”.

 

Nothing seemed to be amiss except for strange, clear liquids on the ground, but she wasn’t permitted to enter for ‘safety reasons’. Rhodey had been there soon after, panting upon arrival. They were both distraught, wanting to help, but the S.H.I.E.L.D agents had pushed them away as if they - Tony’s long-time friends - were not qualified to stay. Even now, Pepper had a bitter taste in her mouth when she recalled the situation.

 

The reports later made on the case, which had a serial number stamped onto it - Pepper always found that to be impersonal, especially in this case; Tony wasn’t a number - stated that Jarvis had initiated Protocol Hostile (Pepper knew it well) at 1:12 AM. But when help came, Tony was already gone. Or the proper term was “taken”.

 

The traces of liquid found on the floor had been alien, and upon close inspection, according to the scientists that examined it, was very similar to that of amniotic fluid (she later found it was the liquid found in the mother’s womb during pregnancy). The footage that could have solved all of their mysteries was destroyed, but Pepper continued to gather evidence after that day.

 

A sound shook Pepper back from her thoughts and she realized she was staring down at a hole. The coffin was already on the ground and several men, hired to dig and cover the gaping ground, were already at work. The attendees were stepping away and the Priest was closing his bible. She hadn’t even be paying attention, but she can feel the remnants of gravel and dirt on her palm where she had thrown it on the empty coffin. The whole charade was suffocating her internally and it made her skin crawl at the wrongness of it.

 

She saw Nick Fury walking away with Phil Coulson and Maria Hill, and the anger she felt towards S.H.I.E.L.D rose up with a thunder. Pepper ignored Rhodey’s words to try to calm her down and she walked up to Nick Fury, who turned to face her with a grave expression on his face. Maria and Phil also saw her as well and looked at her sadly.

 

“Is this it?” Pepper shouted at Nick, who stood now, the black car he was just about to jump into still ajar. There was tension in the air now and Pepper was determined to get an answer from the man who had orchestrated this whole funeral and forced everyone to attend.

 

“You’re just going to give up now?”

 

When Fury did not answer her immediately, she glared at him with a raised eyebrow. “Well?”

 

“Ms. Potts, as you very well know, we’ve done everything we could to find Stark. As it were, our resources are running thin. We do care and sympathize for what’s happened. But we need to move on. Until we have hard evidence, there’s nothing we can do. You have to understand that.”

 

“You were the one who mixed up Tony in this mess about aliens and saving the world in the first place! It’s your fault! If you hadn’t recruited Tony for the initiative, he might still be here-“

 

“-or he may actually be dead. I was the one who provided all of the resources he needed to find his second heart and stop the palladium poisoning, Ms. Potts, so do not test my patience.”

 

Pepper felt her face go hot at the mention. Was Fury taking credit for Tony’s discovery? “Bullshit. Tony was the one who found the new element on his own. He didn’t need you. You may have nudged him towards the right path, but that’s what you are - you manipulate people.”

 

“A necessary tactic. Like today…” Fury frowned deeply and Pepper felt as if he was looking down at her now. Even with one eye, the man’s presence was intimidating. But she held her ground.

 

“I’m _not_ giving up on him!”

 

“Do what you need to do.”

 

Fury did not speak to her again, and she watched, seething, as the man closed the door to his car. She watched Maria follow suit. Pepper caught Phil’s gaze, which was filled with sympathy.

 

“What about you, Phil? I thought you cared?”

 

“We all do. I’ll try and get him to help you, Ms. Potts. It’s trying times, especially now.”

 

With that, Phil turned and was gone from her sight as well. Pepper wasn’t too sure if she can count on Phil to keep his word, but she hoped so. She always considered him a good man.

 

“Pepper...?”

 

Pepper turned to look at the owner of the voice and saw Bruce Banner approach her. He also held a deep sadness in his eyes. It wasn’t pity, though, that she saw in the man’s eyes, however.

 

She had seen it (or mockery) a lot in many people’s eyes, lately, whenever she said Tony’s name. The news had a field day with covering the news about Tony’s disappearance in the first few months and many theorists had gone on the internet and shared their thoughts. Now, after more than a year, whenever she spoke his name in the present tense, they slammed her name on the news negatively, as if they thought she was crazy to think Tony Stark was alive after so much time had passed.

 

“Bruce,” Pepper stated back, her voice sounding a little emotionless. She winced. She should be kinder to the man - he had tried to help her find Tony in his own way. They had spoken fairly often enough to call each other good friends now, although she wasn’t too sure if Bruce was invested enough to want to look for Tony as much as she was.

 

“I’m sorry you had to go through this. I know you still haven’t given up on finding him. We all haven’t. But…”

 

“But what, Bruce?” Pepper countered, her voice snapping back at the trailing sentence. This was the last thing she wanted to do, but her anger was getting a hold of her again.

 

“There’s just not enough evidence to go by. But I just- I wanted to tell you I’m here for you though. If you need anything. I don’t think Tony’s dead. Please let me know if you need my help- I’ll help.”

 

A surge of emotions caught Pepper off guard at hearing Bruce say those words. Perhaps she wasn’t completely alone after all. She had Rhodey, and she knew she can rely on him, but knowing there were more people that actually cared and wanted to see Tony come home safely was too much to handle. She felt her tears rise up again and before she knew it, her mascara was smeared and large arms were wrapped around her in a warm embrace. It was comforting and relieving to hear those words from Bruce.

 

She slowly untangled from Bruce’s hug and she wiped away her tears quickly, suddenly embarrassed.

 

“Thank you, Bruce. It... it really means a lot. It can’t end like this. Tony’s got to be out there somewhere. We just haven’t found the right source to track him down.”

 

Bruce nodded as well. “When we find it, we’ll bring him back.”

 

“Have you tried getting in touch with Thor?” Pepper asked. She had only met the god once in 2013. Thor had been absolutely distraught and out of his mind when she saw him. She had seen the sorrow in the man’s eyes and the way he cried when he attended the funeral of Jane Foster. Pepper would have liked to have met the astrophysicist. She felt a great sympathy for the god, especially as her own journey to find Tony had been leading to many dead ends. Fortunately for her, she didn’t know for sure yet if Tony was dead.

 

“No. Not really… it’s been hard to get a hold of him, especially after Jane Foster’s death. It was a real blow for him. I’ve actually been trying to find a way to create a communication device so we can reach him easier and not, you know, sporadically.”

 

“That would be helpful. I’ve been wanting to ask him about what he may have found. I remember Thor said he’ll continue looking. I know he’s told us everything, but I just can’t let it go. I want to ask him more about how I can find out about these aliens that could have taken him away. He might know…”

 

“It’s worth a shot. I’ll try and get this finished, just needs a bit more tweaks and a bit of testing and it’s done.”

 

Pepper couldn’t help but smile at the faintest hope that swelled inside of her. She hoped she was right. Bruce returned her smile with a reassuring one. “I’ll try and involve the others as well. Tony’s not forgotten.”

 

“Thank you, Bruce. I mean it.”

 

“Of course. That’s the least I can do. Tony’s a good man. I saw it when he fought against the Chitauri. He doesn’t deserve this.”

 

Pepper saw Rhodey come up to them from the corner of her eye and she gave a small nod at Bruce’s words. She watched as Bruce left now, stealing a small glance back at her for a moment before disappearing down the lonely road.

 

“Pepper, ready to go?” Rhodey asked, looking at her worriedly. She looked back at him with determination in her eyes.

 

“Yes. Let’s go back. We have a lot to do.”

 

x

 

x

 

Year 2015

 

Tony couldn’t sleep - ever since that dream, he wasn’t able to close his eyes fully without breaking into a sweat. So he tried his damnedest to stay awake.

 

He itched for caffeine, or drugs, or alcohol. Anything to take his mind off of the thoughts that caused him to tremble uncontrollably. Without the constant tick of the clock, Tony wandered for hours, fixing his thoughts on one single obsession - escape.

 

The pain, also, was back. It had worn him down a little, but he was getting used to the sickness now. After he emptied the contents of his stomach, Tony was usually shivering as if all the warmth in his body had left him. He felt the cold the most around the center of his abdomen, where the thing resided. He cursed it under his breath, even as his arms wrapped around his stomach in pain as if protectively, contradicting his words with his actions.

 

Every time his thoughts wandered, though, Tony couldn’t help but wonder now where Loki was. He didn’t want to care. But his curiosity was getting the better of him. With nothing better to do, he theorized over it and it made the pain a little easier, both physically and mentally. It kept him awake and took his mind off of the chill in his stomach. If he knew any better, Tony thought he felt a bit warmer every time he thought of Loki, but then he didn’t want to think about that.

 

_Loki knew it was 2015… Did the creatures tell him about it?_

 

_Or did Loki know because he was taken outside? If he was, then where?_

 

_He’d come back hurt. Bleeding._

 

_Why was it only Loki that the Breeders took away? There’s definitely something he’s not telling me. And I’m going to find out._

 

As if on cue, Tony heard the sealed doors of the cell on the other side open wide. He saw something, or someone, being thrown inside. He guessed it was Loki, but it was hard to tell as the thing was steaming with smoke. The body, he noticed, was not moving but he could see it was burnt really badly, the skin having turned black. The smell of burning flesh reached his nostrils and Tony recoiled.

 

“Loki?”

 

Tony held his breath and closed his distance. As he did, he saw the blackened body in close proximity. He hadn’t been able to recognize him, but Tony saw now that it was indeed the god that lay before him. His hand continued to press over his stomach, which throbbed continuously, but his other hand hovered over the god.

 

He was horrified and shocked by what he was staring down at. Was this Loki? What had the creatures done to him? Was he even breathing?

 

_Why do I care if Loki is breathing or not? He raped me, for god’s sake…_

 

Nonetheless, Tony couldn’t stop himself as he kneeled before the body and put his hand close to where Loki’s lips were. He could feel breathing on his fingertips. He examined the rest of the body, and realized Loki was completely naked. It was hard to tell if there was any other damage that the Breeders had caused, but the main damage was the peeling, burnt skin and blood dripping from the wounds.

 

He searched to see if Loki’s magic was healing the god, but Tony couldn’t see those sparks he’d seen the first time Loki came back injured. For the first time, Tony felt an acute sense of unease. He had wished Loki was dead a lot after the rape. But seeing it happen now seemed… wrong.

 

The god looked powerless... Tony felt a great pity for him.

 

“Wake up, Loki.”

 

Tony reached out to shake the god on the shoulder, and as soon as his palm touched the god’s skin, he gasped as he felt warmth spread through his palm and then surge through his entire body like a heat stroke. He felt it in a flash and then he was gasping for breath as he let quickly go. As soon as he did, he saw Loki’s eyes shoot open, wide awake.

 

With an agonized gasp, the god was breathing raggedly as if he were running out of breath. Tony, recovering a little slower than he would have liked, got up again and panic clutched him as he watched Loki spasming on the floor like a dying fish without water.

 

“Loki! Can you hear me?”

 

Tony raked his brain, desperately trying to find a way for him to help Loki. The god was gushing blood from his lips and no magic seemed to be healing him. The god was really dying.

 

He rushed forward and grabbed a hold of Loki now, remembering in the back of his head the remnants of his CPR training he did a while ago. _Turn the patient on his side so his airway is more clear._

 

As soon as his skin touched burnt flesh, Tony felt the heat again. It raced through his blood and burned him as if someone was lighting a fire and entrapping him within its flames.

 

Gasping for breath, Tony was about to let go when he saw his palms were glowing. It was the same eerie glow that had surrounded Loki and helped the god heal. He saw the shoulder he was touching was knitting itself back together. The skin, however, was turning blue and as he watched, the burns started to fade away and began to replace itself with thin lines or runes. In spite of the pain, he couldn’t take his eyes away from them.

 

Tony didn’t know how long he was gripping Loki’s shoulder, but he noticed the god wasn’t jerking violently beneath him or bleeding out. He turned to look down at the god, who had seemingly grown a little larger than earlier, and the vision took him by surprise.

 

It was still Loki, but there were some beastly features that he didn’t recognize. The ridges Tony saw earlier, along with the small runes that riddled Loki’s body, was present over Loki’s face as well. Two long horns protruded from the god’s forehead like that of a ram’s horns. Crimson eyes looked back at him now with shock, but as Tony backed away, releasing his hold on Loki, the red irises now evoked shame.

 

“Wha...”

 

Those were the only words Tony could breath out. He couldn’t stop staring at Loki’s new form. He saw the god was trying to hide his dignity the best he can, desperately shying away from his gaze.

 

He wanted to look away, but he was too shocked to do so. His eyes caught sight of Loki’s sharp claws and he shuddered as he remembered scars on his body. They had looked like animal scratches and now he knew where it had come from. His heart raced as he realized he was probably looking at Loki’s true form.

 

_“Look away, Stark...”_

 

Loki’s voice sounded deeper. It sounded more monstrous, like what he would imagine the voice of a wolf would be like if Tony ever heard one speak.

 

Tony wanted to. But he felt as if his whole body had frozen in its place. The pain in his belly was gone now as if healing Loki - if that was what he had done earlier, Tony still wasn’t sure if it was his doing - had also relieved himself of that nuisance.

 

He looked at Loki with wide eyes, fear burning a hole in his heart. His common sense told him to run as far away from the monster in front of him. His feet, however, refused to obey him.

 

But then Tony saw _that look_ on Loki’s face. He’s seen that same look before. It was like he was looking at a former reflection of himself staring back at him. Those red eyes, no matter how unnatural they looked, looked human to Tony - he saw Loki’s self-loathing and hatred for himself. He recognized it. After all, he had experienced it after he regretted all of the weapons he’d created in the name of greed and what his name stood for then in people’s eyes.

 

When he took a step towards Loki, he saw the god flinch and drag his body away from him.

 

“What are you afraid of?” Tony spoke softly under his breath.

 

Loki didn’t answer for a moment, and Tony can see inner turmoil gripping him.

 

_“Hurting you…”_

 

Tony couldn’t respond to that properly. All the pent-up anger and resentment he felt for the god felt feeble, insignificant, in comparison to the blood and close-death he saw earlier. Could he forgive Loki?

 

“I don’t know if I could forgive you…” Tony trailed off. Loki gave a slow nod.

 

“I wouldn’t expect it from you.”

 

 _Then why are you always so kind to me? Why do you always try to please me?_ Tony thought furiously.

 

“How did you… heal me…?” Loki spoke, and his voice was riddled with confusion.

 

“I didn’t. It just… happened.”

 

“Nothing happens for no reason. I would have died… They burned me too close to the brink of death. My magic was not working…” Loki remarked and Tony saw the god’s hand brush over the heavy looking collar around his neck. “You healed me, Stark.”

 

“That’s impossible. I’m only human! Unless…”

 

The connection clicked and they both looked at each other with one thought in mind. Was it the thing inside of him that saved Loki?

 

Tony pulled up his tinged clothes, which was a mixture of blood and light blue now. He hadn’t noticed it before, but his stomach looked as if it had grown an inch since lunch. He touched it and his belly was cold as ice.

 

“Thank you, Stark. I owe you a debt, even before this, that I will never be able to repay.”

 

Tony looked back at Loki and he furrowed his eyebrows. “I didn’t save you, Loki. This thing did.”

 

The god did not answer, but Tony saw a small smile forming on the Asgardian’s lips. “Perhaps. Perhaps not.”

 

Tony watched as Loki looked away. The god was still blue and naked, covered in grime and caked blood. The whole scene seemed surreal, like something out of a fantasy novel. “Are you going to change back?”

 

“No. I can’t. Not until I recover my magic enough to bring back the glamour.”

 

Tony gave a nod at that as if he knew what Loki was talking about. He didn’t and Loki’s true form spooked him, but somehow the realization that the creature inside of him had performed some sort of voodoo without him even realizing was more disturbing than seeing Loki now. Even the fear he had harbored for the last couple of months since the rape seemed to dilute in comparison to another revelation he felt now.

 

He wasn’t angry at Loki.

 

Tony was too tired to continue being angry at Loki. It sapped his energy feeling any fury or resentment for the god. And it distracted him from what he really needed to do - escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update so quick? Well I was inspired. Thank you for all who commented! 
> 
> So I'm following the MCU timeline now, which includes the events of Thor: Dark World and Iron Man 3. 
> 
> Pepper and the gang makes an appearance. Clearly, they haven't forgotten Tony and she has no intention of doing so.
> 
> Nick Fury's not in a good mood at all though, since he knows he's being chased by Hydra agents from Captain America: Winter Soldier so we really should forgive his bad manners.
> 
> PS - This baby is full of mischief.


	9. Victims

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A major truth reveals itself. How will Tony take it?

****_I’m alive…_ Loki thought, half in disbelief and joy, as he let the water from the shower wash away the blood, sweat, grime, and filth that clung to his skin now. He was still blue and the heat from the water was uncomfortable, for his Jotun skin, accustomed to ice, considered it foreign. But he let it wash out everything. The tingling sensation he felt didn’t even matter in comparison to just how grateful he felt.

 

He had been so close to death, burnt so badly and helpless without magic, and once again fate pulled him back from that brink. To be able to breathe lightly and feel anything was a blessing. He could still taste the tang of iron he had been throwing up only moments ago. He was here now because of Stark and the babe.

 

It was most likely the child’s power that helped him heal, but a part of Loki considered it a culmination of the two. He knew magic was simple. If Stark hadn’t been willing to help him, most likely the babe would not have been able to give him the power to heal. He would have died on that floor and he wasn’t sure if the Breeders were willing to help him recover - even though Loki had thought that the ‘policy’ that seemed to apply to him made it seem like they had wanted to keep him alive.

 

Already, he felt a surge of pride for the little one residing in Stark’s womb. Loki had hoped for many things and magic had been one of them. He had imagined many facets of the child, how he or she or they (if the child chose not to hold a gender, Loki will love them regardless), will be like. But to actually know that the babe was strong even at this stage was an unexpected and a great discovery. And Stark was linked with the child’s sentience.

 

Loki washed feverishly while he tried to keep his mind off of the nightmares he endured on his second stay on Gythras. He didn’t want to ruin the happy discovery that outweighed all the pain he went through only hours before.

 

Loki hissed as he accidentally scratched himself with his sharp claws that now replaced his nails. He growled in frustration, irritated by the fact that he still could not bring back his glamour.

 

Ever since the day Loki had found out his true origin and birthplace, he had despised the very essence of what he was and had sealed it with the same glamor that Odin had placed on him as a child, striving hard to maintain the illusion so no one saw his weakness.

 

He considered all Frost Giants to be deformed creatures, both body and soul; exiled to wander in their ice-filled world, Jötunheimr. But a small part of Loki, very faintly, wished he had had the chance to see things differently. What would have happened if he had grown up there instead of Asgard? Had he not been stolen away by Odin, perhaps he would have considered his form and everything about the Jotun species a blessing and not a curse. Unfortunately, his path did not lead him down that road.

 

Loki had never been intending to show his true form to Stark, but it had happened and he could not take it back. Loki still recalled how moments after being healed, his heart sunk and panic rose up as he realized his glamour had faded. He had expected that same fear in Stark’s eyes. He felt so exposed and powerless, unable to do anything to hide from those eyes.

 

_“What are you afraid of?”_

 

Loki spoke the only words that he could think of then that made sense.

 

“Hurting you.” _Causing more pain than I already have…_ was left unspoken.

 

Loki thought he saw something inside of Stark shift when he spoke those words, which were as honest as he could have ever been. He was a god of mischief, of lies. But to Stark, he will not lie. He cannot. Truth seemed like the only logical path for him to take.

 

He wanted to know more about Stark - a part of him needed to know about the man that he shared a cell with, to understand the bearer of his child. It made the tortures on that planet easier.

 

Loki felt all his skin burn up at the horrible memories that still felt attached to his skin. Loki wished he could forget them, but they were strong and vivid. He closed his eyes, squeezed them shut and tried to black them out from his thoughts. _They were irrelevant._ What he felt during those acts of torture were unimportant.

 

_Think of Stark. Think of the babe._

 

The water stopped abruptly and Loki looked up to find himself drenched but still not relatively cleaned. Loki groaned irritably at it but did not protest as he brushed his hair back and squeezed the water out of his long hair. He patted all the wetness off of him and looked out over the other side to see if the creatures had left him some clothes. He saw them, which hadn’t changed color, unlike Stark’s. He glanced quickly towards Stark’s area and found that Stark was awake, but was looking away from him. Perhaps he was giving him privacy, which Loki felt grateful for.

 

He quickly wore them, covering himself and sat by the center of the wall this time. His horns, however, were large and Loki couldn’t rest his head on the wall like he used to. So he crossed a little bit towards the center of the room, ignoring his empty stomach. He breathed in slowly, watching the ceiling for a little bit, trying to settle the nerves in his stomach. His sharp fingernails, though, were also in the way a lot of the times and it annoyed him that his magic - which had gone to completely dormant since the day he saw… Bastien, the client - wasn’t working.

 

The thought of Bastien made his skin crawl. Loki didn’t want to remember the man. He hadn’t noticed that the creature had stolen something from him until after the second client had come in and he had suddenly lost his ability to heal. His magic had been subdued somehow after his encounter with the Prince and the whole incidents after that had gone by in a blur. Losing his ability to heal had been the reason why he was close to death in the first place.

 

_I’ll need to find out what this creature is if I’m going to survive in that hell planet…_

 

“Loki, I need to ask you something.”

 

The god blinked and he saw Stark gazing towards his direction now. The man had a look of determination on his face, and Loki can guess what the man was about to ask him.

 

x

 

“What are they doing to you when you disappear?”

 

Tony saw Loki promptly freeze in his place.

 

 _I’m going to find out what it is you’re not telling me,_ Tony thought.

 

The near-death incident had given him a scare, seeing it so up close. There was definitely something Loki was going through that he wasn’t aware of and the urgency to know was too strong for him to ignore, especially now that he felt less hatred for the god.

 

There was a stifled pause that stretched between them. Tony waited regardless.

 

“Tell me.”

 

Loki tilted his head slightly in Tony’s direction, but the god did not look him in the eye. His lips trembled. He’d never seen Loki look so vulnerable. What were the Breeders doing that had broken down the god so much?

 

“I cannot answer that question. _I…_ will not.”

 

The last part of the sentence was spoken in a tone that attempted to end this conversation promptly. But Tony wasn’t letting him do that. No, he wanted answers.

 

“Bullshit. They’re torturing you. Maybe it’s for information. Maybe… something else, I don’t know. But every time you come back, you look worse than you did before. They almost killed you yesterday!”

 

Loki didn’t reply but Tony continued anyways. He needed to say it this time. He had been in too much shock earlier to utter a word. The uneasiness was evident whenever he touched his stomach now and found nothing but the cold answering him back. His body didn’t feel like his own anymore. The tug to know the truth, to be able to find out out more about this thing inside of him and maybe gaining Loki’s help to escape from this hell hole, which is what he should have considered in the first place if not for his stubbornness, pulled all of his raw emotion out of him now.

 

“I’m going to be honest with you. After what you did, I hated you. I despised everything about you, and I forced myself not to care. It was enough for me to stop caring about what they were doing to you. But I can’t continue to watch you come back like this anymore.”

 

Red eyes, full of emotion, turned to look at Tony. Those eyes were a direct opposition to the cold, heartless orbs he’d seen on day one. Even in the Jotun form, Tony knew he was seeing Loki for what he was and not for the puppet he had been.

 

“I know now that we’re both victims of these tentacled fuckers. Whatever it is they’re making you do, it’s got to stop. But you have to tell me what it is. You owe me that, Loki.”

 

“The truth…?”

 

Tony nodded sharply. “Yeah. Everything.”

 

“Very well… As you are aware, we are captives. But the client, the one who captured us in this cell and forced me to rape you, had more in mind than simply impregnating you. The Breeders threatened to kill you and rip the child out of your body, alive if I did not agree to sell myself to the black market.”

 

Tony felt sick to his stomach as his eyes widened. “ _Sell…_ What… are they making you do?”

 

“I am being sold for sex and tortured for sport.”

 

Tony felt a heavy blow as the realization and horror sank in. It came in large waves of guilt as it smoldered him in its grip. His heart raced and in his mind’s eye, he regretted every horrid thought he had nursed against Loki in the last couple of months.

 

_Loki sold himself to the Breeders’ whims... because of me._

 

_“Fuck… Loki…”_

 

Before he could begin, Loki intervened with a remorseful expression on his face. “I do not regret taking this decision, Stark. I deserve the violence, the same way I brought it upon you.”

 

Tony couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

 

_What the fuck is Loki implying?_

 

“Hell. You. Don’t. Don’t you _dare._ You’ve done some fucked up things but this is not right-” Tony trailed off. Loki was looking at him with an expression of shame. “We need to stop this. _Now!”_

 

“You are mistaken… I have consented to this,” Loki answered, but Tony can hear the tone he used was emotionless and resigned.

 

“No, you haven’t! You’re doing this out of guilt for what you’ve done to me. The old you wouldn’t have even blinked an eye if I died. But now that I’m carrying your- this- _thing…_ those bastards are taking advantage of that, twisting it to profit out of your misery.”

 

“Right now, I have no choice. I _cannot_ let you and the babe die. Even if it pains me…” Loki argued adamantly, his voice carrying desperation. Tony wanted to shake the god so hard and knock him out of his reverie or whatever crazy idea that the Breeders had brainwashed into his head.

 

Frustration boiled inside of him and heat reached his face. He wished he could do something, anything.

 

He’d asked for the truth, he got it, and it burned him. The whole situation was fucked up - beyond twisted. _It’s my fault. They are using you because of me!_

 

“Then we need to find a way out of this!”

 

“Did you think I am not trying, Stark? I have been looking for a way out, a weakness, ever since we were trapped here!” Loki cried out in protest. His clawed hands, so large in comparison to Tony’s and probably could have easily been sharp enough to slide into human flesh, trembled now like a leaf. The beastly form Tony saw in front of him was _cowering_.

 

“I know that! But I can’t let you continue with this…” Tony shouted back, desperation in his tone. The remorse was eating away at him.

 

_I should have asked. I should have cared. I didn’t want to. I blamed it all on Loki._

_And every day I was blaming Loki, he was suffering, being fucked by strangers, used, beaten, tortured… I’m no better than Loki._

 

“I’m sorry. I truly am… If there was any other way, I would have taken it. But I cannot stop, not while we are prisoners here. I am powerless. Until I find a way to free all of us from this cage, I will endure. Your sentiment, or perhaps your guilt, is kind. However, I cannot afford it. Stark, you bear my child in your womb. This life I never considered possible. I would rather endure all the trials of the world than to see you and the baby come to harm. I will not forgive myself if anything happened.”

 

“It’s wrong… It’s so _wrong…_ ”

 

Tony felt his legs go weak. He was so tired… Everything seemed to go against him - each time he found out about something, it was bad news.

 

He was a restless soul by heart and he thrived on new information, discoveries, interaction and being able to be _free_ to do whatever he wanted. To be shackled, mentally and physically - because let’s face it, this creature inside of him was a prison sentence for him that would soon take over his entire body - in this cell, with no light and very little to bide his time away with, was torture.

 

Knowing he was experimented on, that three years had passed since his capture and now finding out about Loki’s predicament was too much. The emotional tide of guilt, anger and hatred that pushed him around back and forth never ceased to stop and it led him nowhere close to hoping for escape. Was there no viable option but to endure?

 

What can he do now? _Nothing._

 

Was Loki going to go back to becoming a sex slave for those Breeders? _Yes._

 

Can he do anything about that? _No._

 

_What can he possibly do now that could ease the suffering to come..?_

 

“Stark?”

 

Tony looked up wearily at Loki, who was kneeling towards him. The god seemed to be keeping a fair distance, but there was worry in his tone. “What can I do? I need to do something, Loki. It’s wrong… You can’t suffer because of me.”

 

“I will endure. For you. For the child.”

 

“Then promise me this…” Tony spoke and he dug his nails deep into his palm. He hesitated for a little bit. Then he bit his lips. This was the only rebellion he could think of now, after everything, that he knew he could offer Loki. Maybe he still didn’t have the strength or courage to forgive the god for that day when everything changed. And unlike Loki, he didn’t feel any obligation to feel any love for this creature in his stomach.

 

But he needed to instill a certain understanding in Loki, and it was one that he knew no one, not the Breeders, or the sick fucks that touched Loki, could break so long as the god did not stop believing in it.

 

“Promise me you’ll stop believing you’re unworthy. From today, you have to stop believing you deserve what these fuckers are forcing you to do. Those rapists and savages are going to die. _I’m_ going to _kill them_. So stop thinking you deserve it. If you do, _they win_.”

 

Tony held his breath. He watched flashes of emotion pass through Loki’s expression, but the one it finally settled on was something akin to hope. The shame was still there, but the tears that left the god’s eyes were that of relief. Loki cried freely in front of him now and Tony watched silently, feeling the emotional wave as if it were his own.

 

_“I promise.”_

 

They were both prisoners.

 

Victims.

 

Caged and helpless.

 

_But not broken. They may have subdued us. They are trying and sometimes it’s worked. They’ve tried tearing us apart, and that’s worked. Clearly, what they want is to keep us away from each other so we don’t work against them. But that’s where they made the mistake. That’s where they’re wrong…_

 

Tony left Loki to weep on his own, wanting to give the god some space. He also needed it as well. His body, even now, brought on traumatic shivers crawling down his spine. The sensation that overcame his whole being, though, was stronger than the trauma. His willpower was greater.

 

_I am going to persevere from this._

 

_And while I’m alive, Loki is too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments ! 
> 
> I'm glad to finally get this chapter out, it's been hard keeping these two apart.
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts, I'm always interested in hearing them. Thank you for reading !


	10. Attempts

Loki wiped away the last of his tears and tried to calm his breathing.

 

_Stark does not want me to believe I deserve the punishment and torture…_

 

The revelation had been a huge impact on his morale, which he had thought so lowly of in the past couple of weeks. He had blinded himself of the clientele’s insults while he was forced to stay on Gythras, but the words he played out - vicious thoughts that made him think he deserved everything - to his own mental self had been the deepest wounds of all.

 

To be told not to do this, directly from Stark’s lips, was a blessing. A heavy weight on his shoulders felt as if it was lifted from him, even if it was only partially so. He knew it wasn’t complete forgiveness, and he wouldn’t ask Stark of it.But knowing Stark wished better things of him was enough.

 

Lokis felt his stomach grumble in protest and finally he acknowledged the fact that he was starving. He hadn’t been fed anything tangible or energy fulfilling for the last couple of hours. His throat felt dry and he looked around his surroundings, hoping he’ll find his own food placed on the floor. There was nothing.

 

 _Drink,_ he thought first and Loki moved inside the bathing area again, finding the small fountain of water. He drank long gulps from it, savoring the cold liquid as it ran down his parched throat. The past weeks he’d been starved more times than he counted. Sustenance and sleep had been a luxury.

 

Somehow though, it didn’t quench the hunger that throbbed in his gut. Loki pulled himself away from the empty fountain and walked out of the room, his eyes flitting around. Perhaps it was the form he still took now, but the gnawing hunger was stronger than usual.

 

“Loki, you okay?”

 

He heard Stark’s voice and he wanted to lie and hide his weakness. _I promised you… no more lies._

 

“I am… hungry.”

 

“Okay… wait. I’ll try and get them to give it to you. Just wait, okay?”

 

Loki nodded faintly. He leaned on the wall and watched as he saw Stark yelling upwards towards the artificially, lit ceiling.

 

“HEY! Do you want this thing to die? You haven’t given me any dinner or food or anything! Come on! Cough up. Give me food, that’s all you assholes are good for.”

 

Loki observed this absently, feeling as if his hunger was squeezing what little food he had left in his stomach.

 

As he watched, Loki saw food rise from the usual table near on his side of the cell. He also saw Tony’s rise up as well; he could smell it and his mouth watered.

 

Without hesitation, Loki grabbed the liquid substance that was on the table and chewed it in his mouth. It washed down his throat, tasteless. His teeth itched for more, and Loki could feel the food he was given was not enough to satisfy his hunger. But he didn’t go near Stark’s food. The man needed to eat, same as him. He wasn’t about to steal from Stark.

 

He saw Stark come towards him, holding his share offood, and Loki shook his head. “I cannot eat your food.”

 

Stark looked at him, this time sternly. “Stop it. I told you to promise me earlier, remember?”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Take it, Loki.”

 

The god hesitated for a little bit before he accepted the food, his long nails curling around the steaming rib of the cooked meat and long bread. He brought it to his lips and he bit into it. The moment he tasted the juice on his tongue, Loki was chewing into the meat in a frenzy. It was soon gone and he was sated at last for the time being. With a sigh, he set the bone back on the plate and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

 

“Feel better?” Stark said as he held the plate in his grip. He seemed to be rubbing the material on his fingertips curiously, but his eyes were trained on Loki.

 

“Yes. Thank you, Stark.”

 

“Good. Just tell me if you need to eat. Going forward, you can eat my food. I’ve seen that crap they’ve been feeding you. If you’re getting back your strength, you’re gonna need more than a jelly fix to do that.”

 

Loki gave a nod, thankful for Stark’s kindness. His eyes wavered a little over the human and for the first time, he noticed the small things. He noticed Stark’s dark brown eyes, the unshaven beard that had grown out a little since the last few weeks, he guessed, they were trapped as prisoners. The almost invisible collar around Stark’s neck with the runes read “five months” and then he felt his heart beat a little faster.

 

“Okay… I’m exhausted. I’m gonna sleep a bit.”

 

And the mortal did look tired. Loki saw the dark circles around the man’s eyes and how thin he also looked, compared to the time he had first met Stark face to face at the Battle of New York. He worried about him and felt a little guilty now for taking the man’s food. He wanted to give the man a gentle nudge to eat, but thought better of it. Now was not the good time, especially when they had just stepped over a threshold of resistance that had previously kept them from acknowledging each other and their situation.

 

Loki watched as Stark looked at him one more time, no doubt checking to see if the god was okay now, and then turned to collapse on the sofa across the other side of the cell. Loki wished he could produce something to cover the man so he was not sleeping, but there was nothing tangible (preferably some furs or threads) he could use to create something akin to it.

 

So instead he mustered the minimal amount of magic he had to create an invisible layer of warmth around Stark to cover him. He ignored the loss of healing magic (that had been weaving back the cuts and bruises around his body) that he tapped into and concentrated his thoughts on the blanket of warmth, forming its shape until finally he cut the cord that connected him with the magic.

 

 _The cover will hold its shape for the next few hours without my influence…_ Loki thought softly to himself, satisfied with what he had made. He was also feeling incredibly heavy-eyed as well, but he didn’t feel comfortable or safe to let sleep in.

 

 _They are not here,_ Loki thought to himself, forcing all sensations of the past behind him. _The clients are on Planet Gythras. Not here. As long as you are here, near Stark and the babe, they cannot harm you. They are not here, not here, not here…_

 

Loki wished it were that simple. He wanted a way to set aside his thoughts so he could worry less and sleep. But his whole body could not forget, his mind ever restless. He knew, deep down, he needed to remember because the pain was real. He will have no peace of mind, gain no complete recovery or soothing sleep until he could rid himself of these invisible chains that kept him under the Breeder’s contract and burn all the clients until there was no trace of them.

 

 _Stay awake…_ Loki thought to himself, concentrating his thoughts on healing the most damaged parts of his body. His ankles had took the most hit so he forced the skin to reknit itself. While he did, Loki watched Stark’s sound breathing, his chest rising and falling, and that made his nerves calm down a little.

 

Five months… A month had passed since the day they had woken up in their cells.

 

 _I had wished time could pass sooner on Gythras… But I need to find escape faster. The babe is growing, that is evident in the bump on Stark’s stomach. The more time passes, the higher the risk that escape would be difficult,_ Loki thought and imagined the scenario of their escape five months later.

 

_If we were forced to wait…_

_If I could not find a way out for them…_

_If I died in Gythras…_

 

 _If..._ Then Stark would have to give birth in this cell.

 

Loki did not want to imagine it, but he forced it. The horror of those thoughts kept him alert. He will fight to stay alive so he could protect Stark and his child. There was no doubt of this. There was no way he will allow the creatures to be present when Stark will be forced to be at his most vulnerable…

 

_I need to find a way to break the collar that binds my magic._

 

Loki growled in frustration as he traced the surface of the collar again. It had expanded to fit his neck size now, adapting to the Jotun transformation. What could break it so he could free himself of it?

 

He stayed awake for as long as he could, watching Stark sleep until finally he too had fallen into a deep sleep, darkness enveloping him.

 

x

 

Tony slowly opened his eyes and he felt warmth surround him. It was comforting, as if someone had pulled the covers of his bed over him. He closed his eyes, wanting to enjoy it a little more. But his stomach felt cold and eventually it was enough to wake him up. He sighed as reality came back to him, his drowsiness leaving him. He blinked a few times and found Loki on the ground, asleep.

 

Except Loki now looked a bit like the form Tony was familiar with - less of the fierce looking beast and more like an Asgardian. The man’s face was shaven but his hair seemed longer, cascading over his sharp jaw. Tony can see the collar around the god’s neck, glowing an eerie gold every now and then. He’d never properly looked at the god so closely before, especially stripped of his armor. Sure, they had been trapped here for more than a week, but he hadn’t paid attention to the details. He hadn’t wanted to… but now, he did and it made him think.

 

His stomach grumbled and as soon as it did, he found food on the plate. A steaming piece of meat and bread greeted him. Tony took it without any objections, chewing through the alien food that he was slowly forced to get used to. He later washed it down with water from the tap.

 

As soon as he felt sated, Tony realized he wasn’t feeling quite as cold anymore. He rubbed his belly, and it was warm. _What was going on…? I need to talk to Loki about this thing… it._

 

Tony really wasn’t sure if he wanted to know, but he had a feeling he’ll find out soon enough. After all, he hadn’t even known the thing had any powers, although he should have anticipated it. He was carrying an alien creature - it was bound to show some type of effects. Perhaps this was a good thing. But it just made him tense.

 

What else was he going to have to anticipate in advance while he carried it? Was he going to be able to get it out of him? Or worse… will he have to give birth to it?

 

The thought of child birth made Tony go pale. He’d heard and seen those scenes in movies, but he’d never thought he, Tony Stark, would be the one to carry a baby - _No, an alien,_ Tony thought quickly - in him. Giving birth was not something he ever planned to do or endure. There was no way in hell he was going to allow it while he could help it.

 

 _I have no control over it though…_ Tony thought to himself and he could feel a little frustration rising in him.

 

_I need to get out of here before that happens. I need to find a way to cut it out of me. Once I get out, I’ll have all my bots do it. No SHIELD. Can’t trust Fury and his gang… Then I’ll give it to Loki and he can move on with it. I don’t want it…_

 

He heard a rustle and saw Loki wake up. The god’s eyes fell on him and Tony’s gaze met Loki’s emerald green eyes starring back at him. There was worry in his face and Tony realized he’d been biting his lip so hard he had broken skin. He can taste the small slip of blood and he licked it away quickly, ignoring the uncomfortable scratch of his beard which had grown out of its shape.

 

“Are you well?”

 

“Yeah… I mean… This whole situation is fucked up. But yeah, I’m fine today. I’m not sick. What I’m not fine with is this thing in me.”

 

Loki gave a slow nod, guilt flooding in his eyes. “Stark, I can never forgive what I have done to you-“

 

“No, stop. I’m not trying to make you feel like shit. I was the asshole,” Stark interrupted and paused, trying to find the right words.

 

“I need you to tell me how this thing is going to affect my body. I… I’m not supposed to be pregnant. I have no idea how this works. Maybe you don’t know either. I mean, do you have kids? I- sorry, I actually don’t need to know that. But this thing is growing. In me. And the more time passes, the harder it’s going to be for us to get out of here.”

 

Stark sat across Loki, close enough to hear the god but far enough to safely away from being touched. He waited for the god to reply.

 

“I understand. Let me shed some light on this as well,” Loki spoke and Tony saw Loki take a nervous, as if readying himself.

 

“Right now, your collar is counting down the days towards the child’s birth and it says five months. So it will still take a little bit for the babe to grow.”

 

 _Five months!_ Tony thought and he felt his chest tighten. Loki continued.

 

“I am not sure if the sickness will continue, but I can make this go away temporarily… if you will let me. The child also seems to be aware and have a little of my powers, but as you carry the babe, I think the child is responding to you.”

 

“Are you telling me I can make magic happen if I willed it strongly enough?” Tony said, his eyes widening. He had sort of a guessed that might have been the case, especially after healing Loki from those burns. But hearing it come from Loki’s lips brought a new sense of hope in him.

 

“I’m not sure… The child is one month old and already it knows how to heal. I daresay we will need to test this and for this I will show you how. But we will need to take extra precautions. The Breeders are watching and I fear they will limit your powers, the same way they have, if they realized just how much power you and the babe may have now.”

 

“I don’t think they saw - they would’ve come back for me if they knew about it-“

 

“Come back? What are you talking about?”

 

Tony saw Loki stiffen as soon as he mentioned this and then he realized he’d never told Loki about the ‘examinations’ the creatures put him through. _Should I tell him?_

 

 _“What did they do?”_ Loki’s voice rose high, and Tony could hear the desperation and fury in his voice. Tony wasn’t sure why, but a small part of him was secretly pleased to know that he wasn’t the only one who thought what the Breeders were doing was completely invasive and absolutely fucked up. It was nice to have an ally…

 

“They examined me and took me back to their lab. They’ve done it twice so far and they’ll probably do it again… But I think if they knew either me or the thing healed you, I’m sure they would’ve come down already and taken me away.”

 

Loki got up and Tony noticed the god was trembling.

 

“ _They_ touched _you.”_

 

Before Tony could say another word, he felt the whole cell shake. It was like the first day they had woken up and he’d watched the god go through his tantrums. But this time, it felt different.

 

Realization dawned on Tony quickly. _He’s upset because of what those creatures had done to me._

 

It brought on a strange feeling in Tony’s gut. He watched as the room liquified and shimmered as if it were being boiled, the furniture disintegrating. Tony got up and tried to keep his ground.

 

“What are you doing!”

 

Loki didn’t answer and instead gave out a loud, agonized cry. Tony thought he heard something metallic break as if it were being bent into different shapes. He backed up a little and realized he had right beside Loki’s side without even realizing that he was closing the gap between them. He looked up at the god and saw the pain mingled with determination on the Asgardian’s face.

 

_“I will break us free from this —“_

 

The walls creaked and rumble, the illusion crazily shifting shapes.

 

 _This was it! They were getting out!_ Tony thought and a surge of energy burst inside of him.

 

Or so he thought until Tony heard Loki scream. It was a blood-curdling one, that made his blood go cold. He turned and instinctively caught the god as he fell just in time, but the weight was too much. They both fell together. As soon as they did, the room stopped shaking and it became still.

 

“Loki!” Tony shouted as he saw the god clawing at the collar as if something was choking him. The light from the collar was blinding and Tony had to close his eyes, panic once again eating away at his insides. With his eyes closed, he could only hear the commotion and he could hear the god’s pained scream piercing him like knives. He opened his eyes a peak and hissed in pain as if someone had sprayed something toxic on him. Blindly, he tried to grab a hold of Loki and when he did, he gripped it hard.

 

Tony heard a withering groan and then slowly felt Loki’s body go still. He slowly opened his eyes and found Loki lay drenched in sweat. The corners surrounding the collar around the god’s neck had gone black. It looked like the god was barely trying to stay awake.

 

“Are you okay?!  _Loki_ —“

 

He didn’t get an answer, instead meeting Loki’s eyes briefly, which were filled with tears of anger, before his head rolled back into unconsciousness.

 

Tony could hear his heart beating fast, the silence around him overwhelming. He still gripped Loki’s arm hard, like a vice, unable to tear his eyes away from the collar that now turned an amber color. The runes around it swam as if it were alive.

 

Around him, the room started to move again, the surfaces which had previously been wrecked by Loki’s magic, slithering back slowly to repair the damage. Tony caught sight of the darkness behind the walls. He couldn’t see anything - the whole entire walls that seemed to encase their cell was covered in a black void.

 

Reluctantly letting go, Tony ran towards the black surface of the wall and reached out. He had hoped it was just an illusion and he was touching the other side and perhaps he could climb over it. But the blackness felt real and tangible under his palm. It was cold for a few seconds until searing heat forced Tony to pull his hand back.

 

The surface rippled as the white colors of the room slowly ebbed upwards, sealing away the black colors until Tony and Loki were once again covered in white.

 

“Shit…” Tony whispered under his breath, his mind spinning. He didn’t know what to think, how to feel. Should he feel happy that they had been close to escaping? Or should he feel crushed that they hadn’t succeeded?

 

He walked back to Loki to check if the god was breathing, and he confirmed that he was. Tony felt an indescribable feeling clawing his insides, but he ignored it irritably. Instead, he leaned in a little closer towards Loki, as much as he willed himself to go, to inspect it. He couldn’t tell what it said, but the metal looked like gold. He wanted to touch it but thought better of it - he still didn’t understand what it was and after what he saw it do to Loki, perhaps that was the last thing he wanted to do.

 

If it had been before they’d talked, Tony would have left Loki where he lay and gone back to his corner. But now it seemed inappropriate and wrong to leave the god here in such a vulnerable position.

 

So Tony sat beside him and instead watched as the walls formulated back to its original shapes, albeit with small changes. A bed had formed on both Loki and Tony’s side of the cell, along with a table and some chairs. It was as if the walls were mocking him, tempting him with small comforts.

 

 _You’re not fooling me,_ Tony thought, as he stayed beside Loki’s unconscious form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting in the previous chapter ! Your reviews feed my soul. :]


	11. Time

**Stark Mansion**

**Malibu, California**

 

**March 1, 2014**

 

Pepper woke up to a sudden burst of sunlight as the curtains around her room, or rather, the guest room that she was sleeping inside the mansion, unwound itself. She got up blearily, still half asleep and dressed slowly until she got her bearings.

 

Over the window (with a spectacular view of the ocean), she saw the surface light up with images and data about the current weather, news, recommended places to have breakfast and many more that catered to Pepper Pott’s preferences. _Fortunately no voiceovers today,_ Pepper thought with a sigh of relief.

 

Good thing she had previously asked Jarvis not to give her a sudden wake-up call by monologuing everything about that day unless it was absolutely urgent. After her first stay here at the mansion, she’d used this little trick on Tony’s many one-night stands. It was absolutely hilarious to watch them jump out of their skin. And she knew her boss didn’t really mind, considering how he was always back at his workshop by the time he got bored of them and ultimately she was the one asked to take them out.

 

Pulling up her hair in a lazy bun, Pepper walked out of the guest room barefoot to grab a cup of coffee. If she was going to think about what to do today, she needed her daily dose of sugar-filled poison.

 

Walking around the mansion though was a strange feeling. She hadn’t visited this place as often as she used to, mostly because it brought back painful memories. The longer it took for them to find Tony, the more she had avoided coming to the mansion. That was until now.

 

After Tony Stark’s death was confirmed on January 31, 2014, and a death certificate was passed on, she received a call from Tony’s attorney who informed her that her name was in his will. She was shocked at first, considering she wasn’t family but she knew Tony didn’t have any heirs to speak of - at least, that she knew of anyway although she wouldn’t have been surprised if all those ‘one-night stands’ suddenly came out of their hiding places suddenly. In truth, she had a feeling that Rhodey and her had been the only friends Tony considered to be true friends.

 

Upon reading the will, she found that Tony had given her the Malibu mansion and everything that was under its roof. That and the fact that she was now named the CEO of Stark Industries, a title she wasn’t too sure she was still ready for or quite deserved.

 

Rhodey, thankfully, was given the collection of Iron Man suits - she wouldn’t really know what to do with them, so it was a good thing she didn’t have to oversee what was going to happen with them. 

 

Unfortunately, the media and paparazzi soon found out about the will and ambushed her, desperately trying to pick up any information they can to write about her. She was swamped with requests for speaking about her ‘relationship’ with Tony on the news. (The paparazzi was less subtle and called her his ‘secret mistress’, which made her so upset.) Journalists working for various industries approached her, wanting to write articles about her as if she was suddenly a celebrity or royalty that had married a prince.

 

Some of the population even speculated that she, Pepper Potts, had hired a hitman to kill Tony or threatened him to write her name on the well, as if she were some old school Bond villain. The whole ordeal had been a catastrophe from her standpoint.

 

Perhaps it was strange to be living here now, but Jarvis’s safety program was what brought her here in the first place. The place she’d been residing was not safe anymore and she’d gotten death threats there. Even Happy’s efforts to protect her hadn’t been enough. The mansion’s safety system and Jarvis had been the reason why she decided to live here for a bit until things settled down. Which, she knew, was going to take a while.

 

The only thing she decided to ignore was the fact that this mansion was the same place where Tony had gone missing. But that was something she didn’t want to think about now, considering the paparazzi storm that converged around her every day. It was only temporary after all.. once things settled down and the media got bored with her, she can move on with her life.

 

She smelt the coffee brewing already in the machine as she stepped into the kitchen, and it was welcoming already. “Thank you, Jarvis,” she called out and the British accented A.I. replied with a polite, and almost warm, “My pleasure, Ms. Potts.” She took the freshly made coffee, put two cubes of sugar and then started stirring it with a spoon.

 

After that funeral, she hadn’t really heard back from Bruce. Rhodey was busy fighting against the government to keep his claim on Tony’s armor, a debate that had lit up a fire that had long been debated over.

 

She’d called him a few times to see if he was okay and whether she could support him on anything, but Rhodey had assured her he was fine. She wasn’t too sure of that though after seeing the news - the public opinion was veering towards supporting the government’s decision to take Tony’s armor away to be dismantled and examined by proper ‘authorities’. She sent in one of Tony’s best lawyers to fight against that and she’d been following the news ever since.

 

Meanwhile on her side of things, Pepper was busy tracing back the ‘incident’ again. After her residency in the mansion, she’d scoured every inch of the mansion that she knew of. It gave her the shivers to pass by Tony’s bed, which she couldn’t quite enter at first because it felt like she was invading her boss’s privacy. But she did anyway. At the end, though, she didn’t find anything that could have led her to Tony’s kidnappers.

 

“Jarvis, can you check my messages to see if Bruce called back recently?”

 

“Certainly. So far, there have been no missed calls from Bruce Banner. Would you like for me to connect you to him now?”

 

Pepper shook her head and then realized Jarvis probably couldn’t see that action unless she actually replied. “Oh.. no, Jarvis, thank you. Not yet, I’ll try and catch him later.”

 

“Very well. I have taken the liberty to order more granola and yogurt for you, as I understand this is your favorite breakfast routine. If you require my services, please do call for me,” Jarvis’s voice echoed and then Pepper was promptly standing with her coffee mug in utter silence. It gave her a surreal feeling now, to be surrounded by silence, after all the noise she had been hearing in the past couple of days before her move to the mansion.

 

_I wonder why Bruce hadn’t called… Is he having trouble with that machine of his? Was there anything she could do to help?_

 

Since her new promotion as CEO of Stark Industries, she’d devoted a little of the money the company earned towards charities. But her main side project was in finding Tony’s whereabouts, and that actually took on quite a bit of financing. Now that she had a little more power, she could probably help Bruce if he needed money if that was the main concern. She doubted it was, but knowing that she could funnel her resources towards this was comforting. The board can’t possibly object in her doing this, even if they wanted to, same as how they might have felt when she had been chosen to become CEO of the company.

 

She opened her StarkPad to go through her present calendar now, to see if there was anything urgent she needed to attend to urgently, but there wasn’t much that needed her complete attention. There were the last remnants of A.I.M case, which they still dragged on after the ‘Mandarin’ incident. But that was being taken care of by SHIELD, which took over all the technology they had been working on for ‘safety’.

 

Her current feelings towards SHIELD came back to her now, and Pepper felt anger brewing in her chest. She sipped the cup of coffee a little longer than before. _I wonder if Phil managed to get S.H.I.E.L.D to change their minds… It will be tough to do this alone without their help. I need to find some evidence that will connect me to Tony’s current location or something that will prove he’s still alive… Anything…_

 

Pepper blinked and realized she had been absently walking down the steps toward’s Tony’s old workshop. As soon as she stepped inside, the lights turned on automatically. It was still filled with her boss’s old stuff, including a huge, silver supercar that stayed untouched for years. She almost felt bad for it - it had seen better days than being cooped up untouched in this old, forsaken workshop.

 

Looking around at it, she could still see the remnants of tools Tony used. Of course, most of the components and parts were taken away, stored with Stark Industries secure vaults after Rhodey inherited them. But she could still remember where some of them were. She caught sight of Dum-E. It also looked like it hadn’t been moving for a while, covered in dust.

 

“Dum-E…” Pepper whispered softly to herself, memories of Tony interacting with the robot coming back to her. Her heart ached as nostalgia hit her hard.

 

As if on cue, the rusty old robot hand came to life. Pepper jumped when it moved, shocked to find the robot still working. It looked at her direction, as if waiting for instructions.

 

“Oh my gosh, you gave me- I mean…” Pepper started but then realized she was talking to a robot. With a sigh, she collected herself again and put the mug on one of the workshop tables just in case.

 

“I don’t suppose you know anything I don’t, do you?”

 

Dum-E tilted its head like a puppy and then opened its clamp in and out as if it were talking. Pepper smiled fondly at it until Dum-E accidentally knocked over the mug she just put on the table. It crashed onto the ground, coffee spilling onto the floor.

 

“Ah, Dum-E, you have to be careful…” Pepper began but then she realized the coffee was disappearing into the seams, and the liquid was dripping downwards towards something. She looked up at Dum-E curiously, narrowing her eyes. _Maybe it was trying to tell her something all along?_

 

She looked around the floor tile and then saw a small button below it. She touched it and immediately, the seams of the floor started to disappear. She backed away in surprise and watched as a secret, underground pathway led downwards towards who knew what.

 

“I shouldn’t be surprised, after everything he’s done…” Pepper said under her breath, humor in her tone. But the revelation of finding this new development was too exciting for her to be surprised anymore. _Was this what she was looking for? Will she find her answers here? And why hadn’t she known anything about this? Did Rhodey know about it?_

 

Carefully, walked down the steps, which were not lit too well. The underground basement smelt of dust but it seemed like it was built well enough.

 

Pepper walked on the metallic floored tiles and then realized she was in a small lab of some sort. As soon as she came up to the computers close enough, she found it came alive on its own and started to show strange data and symbols. Around her, there were a few tables and sheets of papers written in Tony’s scribbled handwriting. She picked one of the papers up to inspect it and noticed it was dated back in 2012, just after the invasion.

 

 _What is all this…?_ Pepper thought as she looked around at the computers, lab equipment and papers. _Why did Tony feel the need to hide this… whatever it was? I don’t understand…_

 

She tried to decipher what Tony was doing, looking at the data flowing in. To her, it looked like coordinates of some sort. It was working to pinpoint areas of the sky, the way astrologers try to look for new planets in the vast universe…

 

Pepper felt her heart beat hard as it slowly dawned on her. Ever since that day when Tony had fallen down the wormhole, she had noticed he had been acting a little more strange than usual. Of course, Tony had always been one to stay up all night to work on his projects, but on that last day she’d seen him, he seemed more… agitated, as if he was being chased after by something. Mostly it was an idea. And this, perhaps, had been one of them.

 

She sat on the dusty chair and watched as the program continued to swerve here and there towards two small dots around the night sky. A few numbers flitted around it but the arrow always landed on two of the same planets. It read [R1] and [R2] and Earth was [E].

 

“But what does it mean…? Where are they? What were you trying to achieve here, Tony…?”

 

 _I need someone who knows what this means…_ Pepper thought.

 

She knew it was time to call on Bruce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, no Tony/Loki in this chapter but hope you like it nonetheless. Their story will continue real soon.
> 
> Just a side note regarding the timeline: 
> 
> Since Tony isn't on Earth during the events of Iron Man 3, the story fades off with Killian (AIM) being found out in a different way by SHIELD and being shut down. (In case you were wondering why Stark Mansion still exists).


	12. Senses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay everyone, life caught up with me. Hope you like this mini-chapter - not much, but hopefully... progress !

_Loki’s still not awake..._ Tony thought as he stayed beside the unconscious god, hoping Loki will wake up soon. After what had happened earlier, he doubted it, but he hoped anyways. His mind was spinning, trying to figure out what had happened. 

 

Furthermore, Tony felt a little unsettled by the feeling that was starting to settle in his chest. _Loki was so furious…._

 

Tony watched Loki’s chest rise and fall, and waited a little more but there was no sign of the god waking up anytime soon.

 

He leaned in a bit to check if the god was breathing and much to his relief, found the god was still alive. He wasn’t too sure if what had happened earlier with the whole walls shaking had taken quite a toll on Loki though and that part was something he’ll need to wait to find out until the god woke up.

 

Suddenly feeling self-conscious for being so close to the god, Tony got up and slowly sat on the new bed that now replaced his old sofa. It was still relatively hard and uncomfortable, but it was larger than the sofa so that was better than nothing.

 

Not for the first time, he missed being outside. It was so hard to be cooped up without anything to to do.The fact that he was still breathing and sane in this stuffy cell was a miracle, all things considered.

 

Tony turned away, the fire burning away inside of him brushing on his nerves. It was the kind he felt on Earth whenever he had nothing better to do and needed to occupy his thoughts. Mostly that resorted to him reaching out for drugs, sex, coffee or alcohol.

 

However, being trapped inside this cell had taught him, somewhat, to be patient. There was nothing else for him to master but his emotions and how he handled himself.

 

_I haven’t seen sunlight for a very long time..._

 

The thought of time past made Tony recall the conversation he had with Loki about the pregnancy. He looked at Loki’s direction now, watching the god’s chest rise and fall softly.

 

 _Five months... We have five months, no... less than that, to find a way out of this cell._ At the rate his stomach was growing, Tony guessed he probably had about three months of leeway before it became difficult for him to move. They needed to find a way out before it was too late.

 

Desperation and panic suddenly rose up inside of him like a storm and Tony felt his throat tighten and his shoulders stiffen.

 

 _Loki said that I could control the magic the thing has,_ Tony thought to himself, trying to breath slowly so he could stop the panic from overtaking him. _Magic... That’s the answer to our escape; it’s gotta be magic! I just need to know more and use this power to get us out of here._

 

Tony rubbed his stomach, in an effort to stop the chill in his stomach from spreading any further than his abdomen.

 

Suddenly, Tony heard a sound. It was relatively familiar, like a humming tune. It cut through the silence and he jumped in alarm, getting up, eyes wide and alert.

 

 _What was that?_ Tony looked around but didn’t find anything unusual that could indicate where the sound had come from as it stopped abruptly. It sounded like a tune he’d listened to a while back when he was a teenager…

 

_Maybe it was just my imagination._

 

As if to prove him wrong, Tony heard the beat of the song again and this time it sounded like a continuation of the previous note of a tune he heard earlier.

 

_Where is that sound coming from...?_

 

“Hello?” Tony called out, his curiosity piqued.

 

**_“If you want blood, you got it…”_ **

 

It’s definitely music, Tony thought, eyes widening as he realized he was hearing AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”.

 

He rushed up to the wall where he can hear the tune most clearly now, hearing the lyrics, **_“It’s animal, living in a human zoo…”,_** echoing outside of the cell.

 

Tony hesitated for a second, remembering the wall incident, his hand still remembering the burnt sensation he felt earlier. But it took only a few seconds before he was putting his ear to the surface of the wall.

 

_Where is it coming from? Am I finally going insane, hearing something that’s not there? Is it a trick conducted by those slimy assholes? Some sort of taunt or test? Or is it something else...?_

 

The funny thing was, he could hear the melody of the song as clear as day as if there was a speaker near his ears. The irony of the lyrics didn’t get past him, especially the part when the song started to sing about the ‘human zoo’. He did feel like an animal on display, abused, used and constantly monitored by the Breeders.

 

_Wait… are you trying to tell me something?_

 

“Loki, wake up!” Tony called out, hoping the god will recover and open his eyes. He needed the god’s help to make sure he wasn’t going completely insane…

 

And he needed Loki to wake up fast - the song was slowly coming to an end and he yearned for it to continue. Was there something or someone beyond these walls trying to carry a message to him? Or was it just wishful thinking?

 

There was no response from Loki however and reluctantly tearing his ear away from the wall, Tony came back to Loki’s side.

 

“Loki, wake up,” he called to Loki, but there was still no reply. The god’s face was emotionless, eyes closed shut and deep in slumber.

 

Tony quickly shook Loki. _No response._

 

He nudged the god hard as well. _No response._

 

“Loki? Come on, _please..._ wake up.”

 

Tony froze as he realized that the tune had reached its end, the last of the music ending with the repeated lyrics **_“If you want blood, you got it…”_** echoing forebodingly. The silence returned once again, and Tony can only hear his breathing again.

 

The disappointment and confusion loomed over him like a cloud as Tony slumped again, sighing. _It didn’t make sense - why was he hearing that song…?_

 

Just when Tony was about to go back to his bed, he heard another sound. And he once again stopped. He closed his eyes, trying to figure what it was. It sounded like a thumping sound and with a start, Tony realized he was hearing the sound of a heartbeat. Goosebumps trailed up his arms and throughout his body as Tony listened, eyes wide in bewilderment.

 

_What the hell…_

 

Tony knew this time, without a doubt, that it was Loki’s heartbeat he was hearing. It was surreal, to hear the god’s constant and steady beat of his heart in his ears. And almost lulling as well, not too loud but beating softly like a soundtrack without a melody. When Tony shifted just a little, his hearing seemed to amplify the further he walked away from Loki.

 

_Is it because of the thing? Am I… changing? I’m getting heightened senses now…_

 

Tony made a mental note of the symptoms he was getting now. This was useful, to an extent, if he can control it properly.

 

X

 

X

 

X

 

_He was… where was he?_

 

_Loki looked up to find out and found he was chained and facing his father. The All Father looked down him with contempt. Standing beside him was his mother, Thor, and…_

 

_“Tony?” Loki whispered, confusion laced in his voice._

 

_Tony stared back at him coldly, and his arms carried a small bundle that was wrapped in a white cloth. There was disgust in his eyes and a deep frown on his face._

 

_“Silence, traitor!” Thor’s voice boomed and Loki felt the collar around his throat being pulled a little. He staggered but held his ground._

 

“ _As I was saying…” Odin began now, his face smiling devilishly towards Loki’s direction. “…You shall be exiled indefinitely and stripped of all your titles. The bastard child you have spawned with the human shall stay with us.”_

 

_Loki felt a chill pass through him as those words started to sink in._

 

His child… his babe… No, no, no!

 

_“NO! You cannot do that! I will not let you have my child, after everything you have stolen from me! Stark, come to me, do not listen to the All father’s lies! He does not care about you or the babe, only about himself—!”_

 

_Loki was not able to continue as one of the guards backhanded him, cutting off his words._

 

_“Fortunately, a sympathetic follower of yours has taken quite an interest in you… Come and meet your new Master.”_

 

_A shrouded figure stepped behind Tony, and Loki recognized the creature from the red skin and cruel smile that tainted the expression on his face._

 

_“You are now a property of Prince Bastien.”_

 

_Loki felt horror constrict his chest, and when he closed his eyes, he was now looking upwards at Bastien. He was naked and Loki was immobilized, unable to escape, his chains holding him in place. His whole body screamed silently but it didn’t obey him in the dreamscape, as he started to pleasure the man that owned him now, hearing Bastien’s filthy insults echoing in his ears as he choked…._

 

_-_

 

A scream shot through Loki, escaping his lips as he bolted back to reality. He gasped for breath, as if he had been choked, which had been the case in his nightmare when he was forced to give head to the vile creature.

 

“Loki, are you alright?”

 

Stark came over to his side and Loki shook his head, shivering. Usually he would have lied through his teeth, his instinct to preserve his appearances overlapping his raw emotions. But he kept his promise to the man. There was nothing he needed to hide… not anymore.

 

“Don’t think about it. Loki, listen to me, focus on my voice instead. Don’t think…” Stark repeated reassuringly, and Loki felt a hesitant hand touch his shoulder. He felt his whole body shudder instinctively at the contact, but it was comforting - far from the various push and pull he had been treated with in the last few months since his imprisonment and forced prostitution on Gythras.

 

He tried to follow Stark’s voice, who continued to talk to him and rub his shoulder just a little. He still couldn’t stop himself from trembling though, the nightmare wrapping its vicious grip over him. _It isn’t real… Stark is right beside me. Bastien is not here. The Tony you saw in your dreams is a figment of your imagination, your consciousness recreating your doubts in the form of these nightmares…_

 

“—You know, I’ve never coped well with much of anything. Even being called a hero wasn’t enough, cause I wasn’t one. I wanted more out of life. But I didn’t know back then what exactly drove me on or where it was really coming from…” Stark’s voice cut through Loki’s thoughts and he turned his attention to the man.

 

“Some hellish things have been happening since those bastards caught us. I’m not even the one who got the worst of it. You did, Loki. You’re still enduring it. And all because of _this…_ ” Loki saw Stark touch his stomach, and his heart fluttered a little. He wished, more than anything, that he could reach out to his child now.

 

“But you know what? You’re still alive. I’m still here. Whatever you saw just now doesn’t matter.”

 

_Doesn’t matter…_

 

Loki felt his throat tighten, and his shaking hand touched the collar that had burnt him earlier, taking his breath away and forbidding any of his magic to pour out further. It was cold and a heavy weight around his neck again. But his finger traced something… was it a crack?

 

“Loki, I have to tell you something. When you were unconscious, I heard something…”

 

Loki looked up at Stark with concern, “Was it _them_?”

 

Stark seemed to understand perfectly what he meant, “No, I don’t think so. It heard a song, the kind you listen to on Earth.”

 

“A song…?” Loki spoke. He sat up straighter and listened as Stark started to share the strange song and the lyrics behind its music.

 

“Are you sure this was coming from outside?”

 

“I think. Those bastards are probably trying to mess with me.”

 

Loki seemed to ponder this for a bit. He noticed this distraction was helping him focus less on the nightmare and more on the mystery revolving around this song.

 

“Perhaps there is something more to it… If you hear it again, let me know.”

 

There was a awkward silence as it stretched out between them now. Stark looked at Loki for a little, and then gave a nod. Loki wasn’t sure if there was much more he could say on the matter, but the whole situation made him curious and also cautious.

 

“You going to be okay?” Stark asked, and this time it was Loki’s turn to nod slowly.

 

 _I will be alright eventually…_ Loki thought as he tried his best to stop his shivering. But it still continued, on the tips of his fingers. He couldn’t chase it away and he turned them into fists, digging his nails into his skin until he felt pain. The second emotion, as strong as fear, helped to take his mind off of the the images.

 

“Tell me something that makes you happy, Loki,” Stark’s voice sounded, and Loki looked up with a raised eyebrow at the question.

 

“Something happy?”

 

“Yeah.. you must have something. Just… tell me. Anything.”

 

Loki struggled with the thought for a while. There was so many memories, but most of them were layered with failures or disappointments. His childhood was less tainted however, more free in a way, even though he continued to live under Thor’s shadow.

 

_Perhaps one of these memories would be good enough to share…_

 

“Thor and I used to play games all the time, and back then I was still learning magic from my mother, Frigga.It took me a while to learn magic and to master it, so Thor still had an advantage over me when he used brute force to beat me in those games. We were both children, young and absolutely - foolishly - naive. When I got into trouble for something Thor usually was responsible for, Odin would usually lock me in my room for weeks so I can ‘learn my lesson’, as he put it..”

 

Stark listened to him seriously. Loki liked how his eyes stared at him so intensely; he liked the attention.

 

“One day, I went a little too far replacing the wine in all of Odin’s highly esteemed guests’ to snakes, after he scrutinized me for not following some of his instructions properly. As always, I was taken back to my room to be locked in for a month and only allowed out for sustenance. So I devised a way to entertain myself.”

 

“One of the most proudest and happiest moments of that day was when I discovered a way to make portals and escape through those stifling walls. It was the first time I realized that I can be more than just a shadow trailing my brother...”

 

Loki smiled a little and then looked at Tony, who had a small smile on his face as well.

 

“You gotta teach me how to do the same thing so we can get out of here.”

 

“Yes. But we need to be careful- I do not want the same collar to be put on you when they find out you may have an advantage over them. So before I show you how to make portals, I will show you how to deceive them.”

 

“How?”

 

Loki’s smile grew a little larger and finally, a little spark of mischief sprang up inside of him.

 

“The same way I deceived your beloved Avengers — _Misdirection._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the lessons begin! ; )


	13. Traces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, didn't think I'd be back so soon. Enjoy !

**February 12, 2014**

 

“Tell me what you know, and I may reconsider smashing your heads into this table,” Thor growled into the ears of a alien creature with two heads. His breath permeated of ale still, but his eyes were focused and intent to get some answers.

 

His search for his brother, no… _Laufeyson…_ took him from the streets of Dulhun to the neighboring planet of Kismil. It had been hard to track any information out of the various creatures he encountered, but now - after three months of futility - he had some inkling of a lead.

 

Thor pressed harder as he let the weight of Mjlnoir push down on the two headed creature’s exposed and fat belly. The creature squirmed beneath it, even more so when Thor let sparks of electricity zap its exposed skin.

 

“I-I can’t, he’ll cut me up. I won’t survive! P-please, I-I’m sorry about earlier, alright? I’ll just be on my merry way and—“

 

The creature’s panicked voice rose in a high pitch when pain shot through him, caused by a stronger dose of thunder to flow into him.

 

“ _Tell me or there won’t be any time for you to consider negotiating for your life!”_

 

Thor watched as the two headed creature seemed to consider his threat for a few seconds before finally giving in.

 

“You’re looking for your brother, right? The one who got away? Well, we-“ The other head, also sweating, looked up and then continued the twin head’s conversation.

 

“- _I_ heard different. Odin’s sold him off.”

 

Thor’s face hardened and curled into a snarl, anger boiling in him at the creature’s disrespectful words. “Lies!”

 

“We’re not lying, I swear on my other head!”

 

“Oi! You fucking—“

 

The other head that had just sworn on his other head that he was not a liar shut him up quickly with a glare. “You wanted the truth. Laufeyson is with… _The Collector._ ”

 

Thor swore as he heard the familiar name leave the two-headed creature’s lips. He immediately wished he hadn’t found out that his father had just sold off his former brother to the lesser evils of the world.

 

The Odinson family had always tolerated the Collector because of the various family dealings they had with him. Thor had seen the skulking man with his ridiculer hair come to Asgard, usually at night when there were less people awake to see him.

 

Thor had found the Collector gifting the All Father with some sort of eight-legged steed. The horse, which he later knew to be called “Sleipnir”, brought many victories for his father whenever he went out to battle.

 

With an annoyed sigh, he let the two headed creature go and saw him flee hastily into the darkness of the alleyway where he had grabbed the alien by surprise.

 

_Why the Collector? Surely, the man had many Frost Giants to showcase in his gruesome collection. Or was it Loki’s reputation that made him more desirable than one of the plain giants in Jotunheim?_

 

The thought that perhaps Loki had plotted his escape and stolen away Tony Stark seemed a little unlikely now that he heard this fact. Thor almost wanted to wish it was untrue - it would have been so much easier to hate his brother, instead of seeing Loki as some sort of victim.

 

Or perhaps the Collector wanted to make a deal with Loki in exchange for breaking him free from Asgard’s prison…

 

Regardless, Thor needed more answers. Right now, he had more questions than he asked for and he needed them solved quickly.

 

He took to the streets of Kismil again and looked for the nearest ship leaving for Nowhere. Fortunately, he found one public ship that was more than happy to get him there.

 

In the back of his mind, though, Thor wished he could just stop for the day and get a drink in his hand. The only thing that drove him to continue looking for Loki was the same one that kept him going - justice. Or so he kept calling it, but he knew it was more. He could feel the gnarled hatred in his gut festering within him, mangled with each passing moment. His disappointment and utter shame had quickly been overcome with hate and disgust for a brother he thought he could trust.

 

 _He was never my brother…_ Thor thought as he sat on the corner of the spaceship, brooding, glaring at any creature that slinked slightly closer than necessary. They noticed his warning stare too and kept their distance. That was until he saw a little boy approach him.

 

Thor hadn’t noticed him walk up to him, so lost in his thoughts. But when he did, the god turned to look at the small boy in surprise. The child was fair and pale skinned, goldshimmers dancing around his hair. His petite hands walked up to him and fearlessly reached out for him, a cry of happiness for the simple pleasures of walking with his two feet evident in the giggle that escaped him.

 

Thor wasn’t too sure how to react to such innocence, but as soon as he saw the child was about to fall, he grabbed it. The hood above his head fell to his shoulders and he held the child around its waist, awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

 

The boy laughed again, wiggling his hands and kicking playfully, enjoying the midair.

 

“Guseev!” A cry sounded and Thor looked up from beneath his hood to see a shape coming quickly. Instantly, he knew he was carrying the parent’s child.

 

He set the child down again, softly and he admired how the child fell softly again on his butt soon after, but used his palms to get up again, teetering a little before straightening again.

 

“Sorry, Gusee here always has a way of leaving my side and exploring things he shouldn’t have!” The parent cried out. Thor realized he was a male, but had two large breasts that was hidden well beneath the white scales that Thor recognized were made of serpent’s skin. The creature scooped up his child with his slim hands and chastised the boy softly under his breath. The boy, in turn, only giggled and laughed in his face.

 

“Destination Nowhere in 5 minutes!” The pilot’s voice boomed all around and the passengers murmured.

 

The father - _or mother? Thor couldn’t really tell -_ smiled at Thor without an inkling of fear. He didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps he decided to ignore, the appearance Thor kept with him which usually made most cautious creatures steer clear of him.

 

“Thank you, my dear. I hope you find what you are looking for.”

 

The ship came to a quick, short halt - much to Thor’s surprise, considering almost a minute or two ago it had announced it may take a little close to an hour for the ship to reach its destination. And yet, he wasn’t half as shocked as he had been as when the little boy had reached out to him and he had caught him from falling.

 

Somehow, saving the boy from a world that could have caused him to stumble and fall reminded him of a memory of his childhood he had decided to forget. A scene he had watched happen countless times.. _It was of…_

 

Loki when he tried to mimic his heroic strengths by climbing the same mountains as he did.

Loki when he fell and skinned his knee, and yet he kept running after him.

Loki when he laughed at the jokes he made when they were both drunk, the first season of the summer breeze seeping in through Asgard’s kingdom.

Loki as he started to speak to him less and erased his presence far easily than he realized.

Loki as the little boy Thor had come to know - his little brother… the skinny one with black hair, pale skin and magic in his tongue that carried more and more danger and mischief than any one could handle - grew to become a god who invaded, cared little for life, destroyed, and laughed in the face of pain.

 

How could he ever forgive such a creature?

 

Perhaps Thor could have forgiven Loki for his sins before he fell through the wormhole. But that was after the attack on New York and against Jane’s people. _His Jane._

 

Thor stepped out of the ship and immediately, his eyes caught sight of the glow of a pub that loomed above his head, as if calling his name. And his fingers did feel an itch. He wanted something that could make him forget this pain a little. Thinking about his lost brother was agonizing as it was - what he needed was the deep and relaxing swirl of toxic ale to calm his nerves.

 

Before he knew it, his feet carried him further inside the pub and towards the day’s abysmal bliss.

 

X

 

X

 

X

 

“Misdirection eh? And how’s that going to happen?”

 

Loki smiled as he saw genuine curiosity in Stark’s face. It was enticing to see the mortal look at him not with fear but with intrigue.

 

“We know they are watching our every move. But we show they what they want to see. Deceiving them into thinking they have us cornered. Before I can show you how to make a rip in the universe, this must come first.”

 

Stark nodded, “Okay. So… where do we start?”

 

Loki looked at Stark for a minute and he reached out to understand the full extent of energy that the man might hold. His magic, what little he could use, identified the echo of magic that resounded. But it wasn’t as strong as the first time he felt that jolt that healed the most disfiguring wounds from his burnt flesh. No… something was missing. Yet the remnants of that potential was still there. He will just need to pull it out of Stark.

 

“Magic is about desires. Your will is what gets you there. When you healed me, it was because you thought I was dying - you healed me out of haste. But if you want to control an illusion, and one that will be strong enough to last for long periods of time, you’ll need to focus all your concentration on it.”

 

“Mmm, okay… so what you’re telling me is that if I will is strong enough, then I can somehow make the creatures think we’re… what, not in the room? Or sitting here, instead of working on our escape portal?”

 

“That is exactly what I mean.”

 

There was a glimmer in Stark’s eyes now, Loki noticed. “Alright, let me have a go…”

 

Silence except for their breathing could be heard and Loki could see Stark was trying, willing all his energy into one sole purpose. He could feel the faint simmer of magic, the kind he was familiar with and had gone through countless times to capture and make it his. But try as Stark did, Loki could feel the slippery tendrils of that magic disappearing quickly, fading and then abruptly vanishing.

 

Stark tried, and Loki watched, feeling the heat of novice magic burn up and then fizzle away as soon as it lit up.

 

“What am I doing wrong here, Loki? I can feel it. It’s like that rush you get when you’ve drunk a bit too much and think you can get away with everything. But I can’t reach it. It’s going to drive me nuts…” Stark groaned, irritation evident in his voice.

 

“It’s natural. You can never control magic well the first time.”

 

“Huh. Well noted. Wished you’d told me that sooner. I kind of expected I’ll be able to to at least find a way to conjure up a cheese burger while I’m at it… Wait, can I?”

 

Loki furrowed his eyebrows at the strange word, “Cheese burger?”

 

“Oh, you have no idea what you’re missing! Don’t tell me you weren’t trying to take over our world because we have the best cuisine?” Stark’s voice rose in disbelief. Loki shook his head.

 

“Fuck me. That’s it. On my dad’s grave, when we get outta here, we’re driving straight to Burger King and getting ourselves a cheese burger.”

 

“Is this a delicacy where you come from?”

 

“Yeah, it is. It’s cheap, perfect and good vitamins overall. Not like the strange food these creatures keep giving us.”

 

At the word, creatures, the smile on Stark’s lips wavered, much to Loki’s disappointment. He enjoyed seeing Stark happy.

 

“You will be able to master illusions, as well as various others, eventually. But it might take time… _Perhaps…_ the babe is not big enough,” Loki said hesitantly, a bit unsure if bringing up the baby was a good idea. When he started to see Stark shift uncomfortably, he knew he had made the wrong decision.

 

“I’m just… gonna continue practicing…” Stark murmured, his eyes looking away and Loki felt a sense of loneliness, as well as foolishness, for causing the man pain. He watched as Stark sat near the edge of the room and closed his eyes, concentrating all his thoughts on the illusion.

 

 _Leave him to his practice,_ the voice in the back of his head called and Loki heeded it for once. His finger traced the small crack, so minuscule it wouldn’t have been noticeable if he had not touched it. It was a thin line, but the thought that he could perhaps make the same difference Stark was trying to do gave him a huge surge of hope. 

 

It was dangerous to feel hope, after so long. He’ll need to continue scratching at the crack until it deepened… whatever it took to break the constraints on him. And yet, it was exciting as much as the day he learned how to use magic for the very first time.

 

Perhaps now he had an advantage against his assailants, the rapists and vile creatures that took so much from him and subjected them to such horrors. _He will make them pay for every last drop of blood, sweat and tears they caused…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more fluff before the storm, I suppose. : )
> 
> Poor Thor's all confused.


	14. Will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a bit of a roll, so you might see me posting a lot. Maybe cause it's Halloween, lol. Anyways, here's one more for you ! Thank you in advance for the kind comments!

****Magic was a lot harder than he had thought.

 

Tony concentrated all his thoughts and willpower into creating what Loki said was the first step to making an illusion. _Will the thing into being, right? I’m an expert. I’ve made so many things from ideas I’ve thought up, this shouldn’t take a second…_

 

But in reality, after what seemed like hours, he was still staring at blank space. He was quite confident about it, foolhardy even. He overestimated his abilities a little.

 

One good thing about it though was Tony can recognize it, unlike before when he didn’t even know he was using it.

 

It was the same heat he had felt when he first touched Loki and accidentally healed the god. Whenever he concentrated on making another replica of himself on the other end of the room (for some reason he kept imagining himself eating a cheeseburger, which was rather annoying), he could feel that heat warm up from his stomach, towards his chest and then through his entire body.

 

 _Maybe Loki is right… maybe it’s… the thing. Maybe it’s not big enough,_ Tony thought as he felt the energy that had been building up on his fingertips suddenly dissipate and he was shivering from the abrupt loss. That had happened to him with every attempt.

 

_But then he wouldn’t have been able to heal Loki so easily… right?_

 

“Stark, I think it’s best you rest a bit. I understand it is frustrating, but forcing the magic out from your body can be counter productive and exhausting at times,” Tony heard Loki say, and he sighed. It _was_ frustrating.

 

“I can’t just ‘rest’ every time it stops working. That’s not gonna help us. We need this. And I’m just…” _Useless…_ But Tony didn’t speak it out loud.

 

“Give yourself time to master this. The flow of magic can be fickle sometimes,” Loki pointed out softly.

 

“Mmm, but not in a time of crisis. I wish I can just mold it physically in my hands, like I do with my armor. It’ll just be so much easier and quicker with a few tools,” Tony murmured and he saw the god’s face perk up a little.

 

“I have read your profile before the invasion that you are an engineer.”

 

Tony couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of Loki skimming through his background, like some sort of Facebook profile. “Oh, so you were doing a bit of research before we met.”

 

Loki seemed a little ashamed when he nodded, “Yes. I needed to find a weakness so I can break your team apart. But I failed and I underestimated the strength you had”

 

“Mmm, yeah. Anyways, yeah... I’m a builder. I like making things out of stuff. That’s what made my dad famous, and looks like it runs in the family cause I’ve got that streak of engineer’s blood in me as well. Although I’ve got this-“ Tony flicked the arc reactor glowing in his chest “-for all the latter troubles I caused with some of the weapons I made.”

 

“I did wonder what this glowing object does for you… When I tried to touch it with the scepter, it did not affect you. The influence of the scepter failed to seep through. What is it?” Loki spoke in a curious tone.

 

“It’s kind of keeping me alive. Good thing it’s intact. If it’s not here, then some of the pieces still in my body will kill me.”

 

“Pieces?”

 

“Well, more like shards really. They’re embedded all over my chest, where the grenade, well the one I made, exploded. I would’ve diedhe if Yinsen hadn’t been there to patch me up. Anyway, long story short, it’s one of the improved things I’ve made to keep living.”

 

“I see…” Loki murmured, and Tony watched the god’s eyes go a little out of focus as if he was looking through him. He looked at him with a furrow of his eyebrows, until he felt a tickle around his chest. And then he felt a surge of warmth as it centered around his chest. Tony blinked a few times, his eyelids suddenly feeling itchy. He scratched at it and then screwed his eyes shut for a few seconds before opening them again, hoping that’d make the itch go away.

 

When he did, he was in for a surprise.

 

 _Woah…_ Tony thought as he realized with a start that he was able to see farther beyond his body. He saw his own heart beating, although the color in the room had phased out. Loki was awash in black and white, only the tinged green of his eyes glowing in the gray room.

 

He looked down and realized he was able to see his chest as if he were see-through, little small shards of black embedded around the upper body of his chest. It was frozen in place by a constant pulse that he could now feel from the blue glow from the arc reactor was making.

 

“Are you seeing this too?” Tony called out to Loki, eyes round in astonishment and he saw the Loki nod, looking just as surprised by this as well.

 

Tony didn’t fail to notice the small fetus that glowed in the center of his belly. He noticed the small, faint pink creature that nestled in his womb, floating softly. It seemed so peaceful, Tony almost couldn’t hate it.

 

Almost.

 

But this thing was the reason why he’d been in so much pain. Maybe the reason why he and Loki were stuck with the Breeders. If it never existed, it would have been better off for the both of them…

 

Tony saw Loki flinch, and he realized the god must’ve caught onto his negative feelings for this creature that resided in his stomach, feeding off of him, continuing to grow regardless of the dangers around him. He felt a little hint of guilt at the thought.

 

He knew Loki cared for the thing then he ever did. Tony can see it in the way Loki looked whenever the word ‘babe’ was brought up. Perhaps if he had been a father earlier, or if he wasn’t locked in a cell and bearing the child, he might’ve felt differently. Or if the pregnancy hadn’t been caused by rape, the worst acts imaginable, then perhaps… he would have had a different attitude towards it.

 

“The babe has grown…” Loki whispered, and Tony felt the guilt grow a little stronger. It was definitely bigger than it was the last time he saw it, and it was probably only a few days ago. It was now slightly larger than the size of an avocado. It wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed his stomach was growing day to day. But seeing it again made him a little nauseous.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Tony heard himself say those words without much emotion. He couldn’t quite look away from it though and he noticed, after a moment, that a small line was connecting the fetus with… his arc reactor? There was a small, faint glow, like an umbilical cord connecting his other metallic heart with the creature. He hadn’t noticed that at all before - maybe it hadn’t been there last time, but he can see it now.

 

_What the hell…_

 

“Why is it connected to the arc reactor?” Tony blurted and he saw Loki was looking at the connection as well. He shook his head, also in the dark.

 

 _Is the creature maybe using the power from his arc reactor as well to make this “magic” work? I’m going to need to keep an eye on this thing. It could just be stealing energy from me._..

 

A lightbulb moment lit up in Tony’s mind as he realized he had a way to make a weapon, especially once he figures a way to create an illusion. It will be dangerous, but Loki could help with that.

 

Regardless of the potential pitfalls, he had to at least give it a try.

 

“It is curious why the babe would connect with the power source in your body this way... perhaps they can feel its energy,” Loki spoke softly.

 

The black and white colors of the world around them quickly seeped back and Tony felt a sudden gust of wind (which was odd as they were indoors) and then everything around them switched back to normal. He was no longer looking at an x-ray version of parts of his body.

 

“‘Kay, that was something you don’t get to experience every day,” Tony lightly joked uneasily.

 

“Yes, that was unusual. I can see certain things, but there was something in the way that we connected earlier that was intentionally.”

 

“So are you saying the thing did it?”

 

Loki paused for a few seconds and then nodded. “I believe so.”

 

A shiver passed through Tony at the thought that the creature was conscious. Of course, he knew it was a... living thing, or a baby. But knowing it actually was trying to communicate something to them was beyond creepy and made him uncomfortable.

 

It was a lot easier if he considered it a thing that just floated around in his body… like an intrusion; a tumor that needed to be cut out as soon as they were able to get out of there. The thought of seeing the creature with human features of any living, breathing animal traits that can actually feel happiness, pain, sadness... he wouldn’t want to bring an innocent creature to this world without being a free man first.

 

That is if he did consider this creature an actual sentinel being.

 

Suddenly, Tony felt a huge wave of exhaustion catch him by surprise and he sank onto the floor. Loki noticed, and he neared Tony with a worried look in his eyes.

 

“The spells are most likely taking its toll on you,” Loki said and Tony nodded in agreement. His body felt heavier than usual, which was starting to become one of the biggest fears he had in his dreams lately, where his stomach was so big that he couldn’t do anything to escape or make the creatures stay away from him. Fortunately, he was not any closer towards that and if he wanted to keep it that way, they needed to find a way to escape - and fast.

 

“Mm...” Tony murmured and he tried to get up. But then when he tried to push himself up, the strength in his arms gave way a little and he slipped. As soon as he realized, he felt a hand catch him and saw Loki had moved from one place to another in the blink of an eye.

 

“I’m… fine..” Tony said but he heard himself and his words sounded far from fine. He was so darn sleepy, and those arms holding him upright suddenly felt so welcoming... Before he could stop himself, Tony closed his eyes and then he was swept into a state of deep sleep, collapsing onto Loki.

 

X

 

The first thing Loki did was check if Stark was breathing normally. His heart beat faster in his chest - he knew it was most likely natural, but seeing Stark fall unconscious so quickly in such a way had surprised Loki. The man still was uncomfortable to be held or touched after… the incident. The thought that perhaps there was an abnormality in the situation concerned him.

 

Stark was breathing soundly, his chest moving up and down slowly. With a sigh of relief, Loki picked him up and carried the man carefully to the bed on the other side of Stark’s wall, setting him down gently. Loki conjured a blanket of warmth over Stark again and made sure it lasted for a while. He imagined it looked like the wolf furs he’d used to wear and cover himself during his hunting trips.

 

Loki sat beside Stark, watching the man sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking, his mind winding back and forth over the images of his unborn child, so clear in view.

 

He had no expected to see the baby. Yes, he had felt its heartbeat and its magic, but he had never seen the child with his own eyes. To be able to see the child so grown already both frightened and excited him beyond measure. He could see the child had adapted somehow within the artificial womb and Loki could almost see it was impatient to mature. While on normal circumstances he would have been overjoyed, the prospect of seeing the child grow at this speed concerned him.

 

Another thing that made his heart hurt was when the look on Stark’s face when he looked up to meet his gaze. It was the direct opposite of what he had felt - he saw disgust on the man’s face, clear as day. Loki couldn’t blame the man for feeling this way either. He had no right to wish and hope that Stark will ever feel the same amount of love he may feel for this child, after what had been done to him. Even if the animosity of Stark’s hatred had diminished towards him, Loki could feel the traces of that directed now towards the babe.

 

Loki saw a light flicker and he saw the runes on Stark’s clear collar shine with the words, “4 months and 4 days remaining” on them. Already more than a month and a half had passed since the last time he had seen those numbers count down, and his unease threatened to turn to panic. But he breathed slowly.

 

_I cannot panic. This is no time for that._

 

Loki closed his eyes, feeling a little weary himself. He hadn’t been using as much magic as Stark had, but he hadn’t eaten for a few hours and his stomach was starting to grumble. It felt like so much had happened, and these small details were disconnected. He struggled to connect them. More than anything, he wanted to understand.

 

He traced the small crack on his collar and ignoring his fatigue, Loki tried to muster all his strength to chip away at the jagged edge where he had made the impenetrable penetrable.

The effort made his throat burn and dry up, the previous wounds around his neck feeling like it was being scratched over the raw surface as the magically forged collar fought back and resisted, trying to constrict his powers.

 

 _Break,_ Loki commanded with all the force he could manage. He could feel the collar shaking as it did, in spite of its weight. He imagined the sound as the metal tore, envisioning the moment when his windpipes felt less bound…

 

The moment never came as Loki felt his limits. He let go, the agony too much for him to handle now. As soon as he did, the collar ceased to attack him, settling back heavily around his neck. With a frustrated and exhausted sigh, Loki slumped by the wall where he watched Stark sleep.

 

“I am sorry, Stark. I will try… I will never stop trying… For you. And our babe.”

 

Loki exhaled deeply, and slowly… he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep beside the man’s bed as well.

 

X

 

X

 

X

 

The Breeder calling himself Brother came for the Frost Giant, its tentacled face wriggling in anticipation. He had been excited to help, having been given access - finally - to assist in more grander tasks. The minimal amount of tasks he had been given as a youngling had been frustrating to say the least. He could achieve so much more, help his Family continue its legacy.

 

He slithered towards the Jotun and easily scooped him up in its tentacled arms, careful not to wake him from the natural slumber the specimen had fallen into. Brother wondered why this Jotun had become so popular when the bid had been made on Gythras, the planet they had been frequenting for decades since their first existence and true purpose was revealed.

 

The Jotun was definitely vital in their Cultivation - in the specimen’s last trip alone, they had gotten a total amount of 38 collection of semen. One of which caused a great flurry of excitement among his Family - they had been able to extract semen of the ‘Nukla’. He had only seen a hologram of the creature, but Brother knew its skin was red halfway through its body and it had magical abilities that were still kept very well hidden.

 

Brother turned to look back at the other specimen sleeping on the bed, the one he had been instructed to leave alone. He wanted to inspect the creature more closely, see his Family’s work up close. Of course, he had seen the schematics of the reconstruction first hand and how the specimen had been changed drastically over the course of three years. But he hadn’t been born then - he was only a heartbeat swimming in the belly of the mother pods, where all the young were grown. He had much to learn and so many questions….

 

Reluctantly turning away, Brother obediently slipped through the open exit of the cell and into utter darkness. The enveloping black void calmed him and he purred under his breath. His tentacles felt through the air, feeling his way around and he carried his load around the criss-cross of pathways.

 

Along the way, he felt the energy vibes of the ‘Heart’, as many of his Family had started to call the creature. He stopped for a moment and listened, his tentacles wiggling curiously as he felt the dunk, dunk, _dunk_ of the Heart.

 

Brother didn’t know what the Heart did. But he knew it was special. It gave their hybrids life. He will find out soon enough, with a few more months of training. Soon, he will not be a novice anymore - he will be moving up the ladder and joining the ranks. He will be able to gain access to the information and then he, too, will be able to _create_.

 

He turned back at the task at hand, gripping the Jotun a little bit closer. He needed to hurry - he wouldn’t want to disappoint his Family. There was much to be accomplished.

 

Unbeknownst to the Brother, who slithered away with his task in his tentacled arms, the Heart continued… _to sing._

 

_“If you want blood, you got it…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not what you expected, eh?
> 
> Also a fair amount of warning: The next chapter won't be kind to our blue Jotun.


	15. Protocol

**March 2, 2014**

 

Bruce Banner stepped out of his car, his heart beating a little faster than usual as he hastily locked it and looked onwards towards where Stark Mansion stood. The night sky was crisp, cooling the air and seeping away from the usual dry warmth of Malibu. The only source of light he could see now was the round moon and the distant lights of the city on the other side of the ocean view.

 

Earlier, he’d gotten a phone call from Pepper and heard her excited voice over the other end of the phone, telling him to come as fast as he can. When he asked what had happened, she said she’d discovered something in Tony’s workshop that needed deciphering. That was enough for him to come speeding through the afternoon for two hours to get to the mansion.

 

 _What could it possibly be?_ Bruce thought anxiously as his mind swirled with thoughts.

 

From the sounds of Pepper’s voice, he guessed it was good news. Or at least, he hoped it was. He shouldn’t be hasty in assuming until he actually saw what Pepper found.

 

The past couple of months since he started, he hadn’t had the best of luck trying to make his machine work. For one, it was an idea that could theoretically work if he had the right resources and tools. And he did, to a certain extent - that was one of the perks of working for the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D now; he had access to things civilians wouldn’t even begin to fathom.

 

Still, his machine - a device that could supposedly contact Thor even out of the reaches of Earth’s perimeters - didn’t quite work as well as he thought. He would still need time to figure out what was wrong with it; most likely he had calculated a few formulas wrong.

 

Bruce walked up to the clear entrance and immediately from above his head, he heard JARVIS’s voice, “Mr. Banner, Ms. Potts has been expecting you.”

 

The door slid back soon after, and Bruce was staring inwards towards a large hallway, some sort of waiting room and a set of spiral steps.Near it, he thought he heard the sound of rushing water and he turned to his left to find that, yes, his ears hadn’t deceived him - there was a man-made display of water washing down from above like a curtain. In spite of the situation he was in, Bruce had to smile at the extravagance of this home. It really seemed to show-off the owner’s personality well.

 

“Bruce!”

 

He turned and saw Pepper approach him with a smile on her tired face. He could see the ginger haired woman had brushed up her hair in a messy bun quickly, small strands of hair still straying from the tips of her forehead and she wore no make-up, which made it easy for Bruce to see the dark circles that tinged the lower corners of her eyes.

 

“Hi Pepper,” Bruce replied and smiled hastily. “Are you alright? What’s happened?”

 

“Sorry for calling you so suddenly earlier and making you drive all this way. I thought you might be the best person to figure out what this all means.”

 

“What did you find?”

 

“Here, I’ll show you,” Pepper spoke and Bruce can see a glimmer in her eye that seemed to cross between excitement and doubt.

 

He nodded and followed her up the staircase until he reached the 2nd floor of the mansion. He saw a huge living area, complete with a fireplace and two lounging sofas. Frankly, the mansion was a bit too large for one person to live in alone.

 

On one of the large, clear tables he briefly passed by, Bruce saw a mug of coffee, and then glimpses of numerous magazines, photos, as well as files and scribbles in Pepper’s handwriting. Seeing them scattered all over the table made his chest constrict a little.

 

Bruce was familiar with a lot of those files splayed out on that table, one of which was the original file declaring Tony Stark as a missing person.

 

Since the aftermath of the alien invasion in New York, he saw how the media reacted to the news. Of course, every documented piece of alien sightings, hoax or not, seemed to be on many people’s radar. And after Tony’s disappearance, it got worse. The media blamed his disappearance and subsequent ‘death’ a few months later on two things: aliens (which brought on all the conspiracists to the internet) and the newest CEO of Stark Industries, which had named Pepper as Tony’s successor on the billionaire’s will.

 

Bruce would’ve have whole heartedly agreed with the first - because it was true. However the latter that judged Pepper were the kind of people he hated and knew all too well. He’d experienced the same amount of persecution for his… abnormalities.

 

It was only after his ‘good deeds’ did the general population finally seem to understand him. Perhaps some, no _many_ , will not forgive him for his actions at Harlem still. But quite a few residents of New Yorker actually seemed to appreciate that he had inadvertently stopped an alien invasion from becoming a successful takeover.

 

Ever since the battle, he didn’t really get a chance to know Tony more than a few conversations over science. But Bruce came to know him soon after becoming a part of the Avengers team - in a sense - that he was a smart, reliable individual in the end. He wasn’t able to register that at first - same as everyone around him, it seemed Tony had a reputation for being the genius, billionaire, philanthropist with a big mouth that shot various snarky comments to make everyone’s blood boil.

 

Fortunately for him, Bruce had a lot of practice keeping his blood pressure stable. And strangely enough, his talks with the guy had actually been interesting, provocative and kind. He hadn’t met a lot of individuals that actually seemed to understand half of what he processed in his mind. Tony Stark had been one of the fewest men that he actually wanted to get to know more.

 

Unfortunately for him, the time for friendship seemed short-lived when Bruce got the call that Tony had gone missing.

 

He’d done what he could to look for his team member. And Bruce knew all the rest of the Avengers did the same - they scoured through every known data they could find, interrogating anyone they thought would know where Tony Stark could’ve gone.

 

But days turned to weeks and then eventually turned to months of silence, of dead ends and nothingness that seemed to pile up. In-between, various things came up and they eventually ran out of time to look for Tony. These emergencies on public safety came down as first priority. After a while, that seemed to be all that mattered to S.H.I.E.L.D and Nick Fury.

 

When Pepper approached him for his help, even after so many months of dead ends, Bruce felt a deep sense of respect for her. All the rest of them may have stopped and gradually let go of Tony in their own way, blaming that action on their work or responsibilities as an Avenger, Pepper never stopped looking. He couldn’t help but admire Pepper for her strength to keep moving forward, even with the odds against her. Perhaps her stubborn sense of will had been the reason why he felt so compelled to help her, even after an year had passed since Tony’s disappearance.

 

In a way, her uncompromising faith in Tony reminded him of someone he used to know and care about deeply. It reminded him of Betty.

 

And now, Bruce can see genuine hope in her eyes as she brought him to Tony’s old workshop and pointed towards the underground pathway beneath the floors. He hoped that whatever was down there was going to be promising and it wouldn’t let her down.

 

“I found the lab while I was going through the workshop. I suppose knowing Tony, it shouldn’t have surprised me but… even to this day, he always does,” Pepper’s voice sounded as Bruce shook himself out of his thoughts.

 

Bruce nodded, smiling a little at that comment. _Yes, he sure did._

 

Pepper went down the steps of that underground lab quickly, and Bruce followed. He could smell concrete, as well as hear electronic noises. There were a few wires leading up to one single area in the middle of this underground lab.

 

Bruce looked around and he could still see many remnants of a moment left untouched. There were a few empty cups of coffee, all left forgotten and collecting dust together with its various electronic counterparts. But unlike the inanimate objects lying around the lab, the computers were alive, and he could tell from the large screens that it was actively blinking a stream of data.

 

“Does S.H.I.E.L.D know about this..?” Bruce asked, his eyes widening a little. He took a few steps towards the computer. As if it seemed to sense his movements, the data stream seemed to pause for a moment, before resuming back to its task.

 

“No, I haven’t told them. I wanted to make sure what I found wasn’t just another one of Tony’s random pet projects…” Pepper began as she followed Bruce to the computer screen. “I just… I need this to make sense.”

 

Bruce leaned into the computer data, narrowing his eyes at the program. From the looks of it, he could see three major areas and it almost looked like… coordinates of some sort. He looked at Pepper, who nodded, as if reading his mind.

 

“I know, it looks like coordinates or something. But what wasTony doing?”

 

“Maybe… maybe he was trying to figure out why the Chitauri came in the first place… I remember you told me he wasn’t acting like his usual self, right? That fall down the wormhole was pretty high. Did he say anything about it after he woke up?” Bruce asked and saw Pepper shake her head.

 

“No, not really… But I assumed if he did have any issues, Tony usually sorted it out of his own eventually. It’s usually not a good idea to interfere with that. Mind you, most of the time, I was always the one cleaning up after any mess he might’ve had.”

 

Bruce examined the numbers and he started inputting a few digits in to make a string of codes. He hoped they were both right, and he had a strong feeling they were. As soon as he inputted the last key, the screen came to life and then showed a few set of names next to [R1], [R2] and [Earth]. Beside these three coordinates, another string of words started to appear and to this, Bruce felt his eyes widening as the realization slowly started to sink in.

 

“Pepper, what is Protocol Hostile supposed to do when it gets activated?”

 

“Oh… it’s supposed to call all authorities, including the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D, and well, emergency contacts too including mine. But I know Tony had that personal contacts set as a second priority, since he didn’t-“ Pepper stopped for a moment, and Bruce noticed she was holding back a small sob, but continued, “-since he didn’t want me or Rhodey to get hurt if anything happened to him.”

 

“Was there anything else?”

 

“It ensured his safety, I suppose, using any means necessary. It could be anything, depending on the situation it posed,” Pepper hesitated, looking at Bruce with a puzzled expression.

 

“I don’t understand… The Hostile Protocol didn’t work on that day. All systems failed for approximately 50 minutes from when Tony called on it and it was during that time they took him.”

 

“Just bear with me, Pepper,” Bruce said, “Jarvis, can you hear us?”

 

“At your service, sir,” the English accented A.I.’s voice resounded within the lab.

 

“Tell us what you did once your systems came back on the day Tony disappeared.”

 

“As the protocol heeded, on May 29, 2012 at 1:12 AM, after the abrupt shutdown, I scanned all further abnormalities and found none that could determine the cause of the interruption. The authorities were notified immediately.”

 

“But you didn’t mention this program,” Bruce pointed to the numbers flickering on the computer, “-to anyone… Why?” Bruce saw Pepper’s eyes narrowing at the question.

 

“It was incomplete. The data was damaged during the sudden shutdown and thus was considered unreliable. However, recently the data had become salvageable and thus, for the last six months I have been trying to restore the code to its original format. Upon retrieval, I was able to formulate a vital piece of data that may help in Mr. Stark’s investigation,” Jarvis’s voice echoed smoothly.

 

“What?” Pepper cried out, the tone of her voice higher than usual. “Jarvis, you should have told me! What did you find?”

 

“Just before all systems went down, Mr. Stark had been in the process of working on a device that could connect his internal motor functions with the Iron Man suits. Before his disappearance, he had administered a prototype of the nanobots into his blood stream and the system codes that had been activated a few hours prior had been initialized as such.”

 

Bruce and Pepper both looked at each other in unison, something in the back of their brains clicking. The unspoken words were clear.

 

“The SENSE code was able to locate three distinct matches with a high probability to Mr. Stark’s location.”

 

For a moment, silence was the only thing that seemed to stretch before Pepper suddenly broke into tears. Bruce immediately hugged her, gently holding her in a comforting embrace. He could feel her heart rapidly beating away in a flurry.

 

_At last, they had a lead!_

 

“Oh god, this is it… We’ve finally found him!” Pepper gasped, wiping her tears away. Bruce smiled and he would have done so all the way had it not been for one thought that struck him.

 

Before he could speak it, Jarvis did it for him.

 

“I am sorry to report, Ms. Potts, that the coordinates I have referred to earlier are locations that are light years away from Earth. It will be highly unlikely the location can be reach by normal human transportation. This may complicate the process of returning Mr. Stark to Earth. My recommendation to counterfeit this dilemma would be to make contact with Mr. Odinson.”

 

“Thank you, Jarvis. We’ll-we’ll figure something out,” Pepper spoke with a slight tremble of her lips. But she was smiling widely.

 

“Of course, Ms. Potts. Would you be in need of further assistance?”

 

“Actually, yes. I think we’re going to need your input a lot,” Bruce responded. “Say, maybe you can look into my project? Maybe this SENSE codes are what I need to complete the machine.”

 

“Bruce, we need to let SHIELD know about this. Definitely the Avengers team. I’m sure they’ll all pitch in to help, now that there’s a possible lead on Tony’s location!” Pepper spoke and she was already getting up to get her phone.

 

“Ms. Potts, I may advise against this,” Jarvis’s voice intervened.

 

“Wait, hold on, Jarvis. Why would you say that?”

 

There was a pause, and to Bruce it felt like an almost human pause, as if Jarvis was nervous about what he was about to say next. He looked at Pepper’s direction, and she looked just as perplexed as he was.

 

“Shortly after the SENSE codes were compiled, a virus was detected. A very strong one that penetrated SHIELD’s database on February 21, 11:59 PM. Fortunately, I was able to mask the SENSE systems from its reach; however its binary intent was clear.”

 

A cold chill seemed to pass through the lab and Bruce felt it. He edged slightly closer towards Pepper, already sensing a trickle of foreboding at Jarvis’s words.

 

“The virus was released to destroy evidence and any vital information that may lead to the whereabouts of Mr. Stark. The original missing file had been deleted, as well as anything connected to the case file.”

 

“Are you saying… there’s a spy in SHIELD? Someone doesn’t want Tony found?”

 

“Yes. The probability is very high. Until the threat is fully detected, the only way to protect Mr. Stark and the SENSE program would be to minimize the amount of communication made with SHIELD.”

 

As soon as Jarvis finished speaking, Bruce could almost sense the large weight that had temporarily lifted off of Pepper settle back on her shoulder once more. The look of despair and anger on her face made his heart beat a little faster, the fury that resonated from her seemingly almost infecting him as well. Of course, it didn’t make him any angry to the degree of rampaging through the mansion, but he was close.

 

“No matter how hard I try, it seems like there’s always something in the way…” Pepper whispered.

 

“Pepper, this isn’t the end. We’ll find a way.”

 

“Thank you. I know we will. Bruce, can you trust everyone on your team?”

 

Bruce paused for a moment, thinking through Pepper’s question. He thinks he knows everyone - Steve was way too honest to be a spy. Clint, well, he was a part of SHIELD but having known him for more than a year, Bruce hoped he wasn’t working against them. Natasha did have the tendency to manipulate information quite well, yet Bruce knew she was just as honest as Steve was when it came to injustice. And then there was Thor and he had no doubt the God of Thunder couldn’t possibly be mixed up in any of this since he wasn’t really from around here.

 

“Yeah… I do,” Bruce concluded and this seemed to be enough confirmation for Pepper.

 

“Okay. So if we can’t trust SHIELD, then we’ll need to make sure nothing gets out…”

 

“No phone calls, text messages, or anything that can be heard digitally can be made outside the premises of this mansion,” Jarvis stated.

 

“Alright. But you just said ‘outside of these premises’. Which means, as long as it’s within these walls, we’re safe?” Bruce asked.

 

“Yes, I will be able to ensure complete privacy. Unfortunately, anything beyond will be difficult.”

 

Pepper nodded in understanding, “Jarvis, I need to know one thing before we start making any more plans.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Was it SHIELD that shut you down that night?”

 

“No. The shutdown was not… man-made.”

 

Bruce didn’t know if Jarvis’s answer to Pepper’s question was comforting or unsettling. He understood why she had to ask - and he was, to a certain extent - relieved that it wasn’t SHIELD that might have been pulling their leg for the last year. He still wanted to believe that Director Fury, Coulson and everyone else working at SHIELD were good and true to their nature.

 

But the fact that Tony _was_ taken by creatures from beyond Earth’s boundaries disturbed him to no end. What could this creature possibly want Tony for? Was the kidnapping a random coincidence? Or was the incident connected to the events at the battle of New York? Maybe, just maybe, the Chitauri still existed and he had failed to deactivate all the creatures and this was all his fault…

 

“Bruce… Bruce?” Pepper’s voice brought him back to the present, and he blinked, “Sorry…”

 

“It’s okay. Are you alright? You must be tired… We can fight this battle later. It’s already 21:20,” Pepper spoke, and the care in her voice made Bruce feel his tense muscles relax a little. But only just a little.

 

“Yeah.. maybe I need something to eat. Tends to calm me down a little,” Bruce said to fill the silence. Inside, he felt a anxious ripple spreading through his veins at the thought of the creatures that kept Tony hostage. The one thought that made all of the bad seemed to go away was the fact that Pepper and he knew where Tony was now and that meant only one thing.

 

Before Pepper turned to walk up the steps towards Tony’s workshop, Bruce caught her shoulder softly and the ginger haired woman stopped. “Tomorrow I’ll get the team together. Then I’m sure we’ll be able to find a way to get Tony back. This isn’t over.”

 

Pepper smiled even though she looked just as tired as how Bruce probably felt now. Even then, she held a strong sense of hope and determination in her eyes. “Thanks. I know we will. Now come on, let me get you something to drink. That’s the least I can do after dragging you out here on such short notice.”

 

As the lights dimmed in the underground lab, in the background the machines continued to hum and waited for their next instructions.

 

X

 

X

 

X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I lied, we aren't going to find out what's happened to Loki just yet. 
> 
> The current timeline for Bruce and Pepper is at "Captain America: Winter Soldier", both of whom don't really pop up in the actual movie.   
> If you might've guessed, that's the reason for why SHIELD can't quite be trusted right now. 
> 
> Stay tuned for more of Loki and Tony in the next chapter ; ) Thanks for reading!


	16. Publicity

When Loki awoke, it wasn’t back on Gythras.

 

For one, it was too bright. He also seemed like he was submerged in… water? No… it was liquid but thicker… less fluid.

 

This time, Loki opened his eyes to find himself floating inside a thick substance that engulfed his whole body. Like a child inside a mother’s womb, was enveloped inside some sort of large capsule.

 

The sensation of being encased in this liquid was all too familiar; it had been like the time when he’d first been taken by the creatures, paralyzed and then pushed into the liquified prison. Loki gave out a roar of frustration upon realizing his predicament, but he could only hear a faint noise coming from his lips.

 

The second frustrating thing was he couldn’t see properly. Everything looked hazy like a white sheet had been pulled over his eyes. But he could make out a dark, blurred form hovering over him now from across the capsule’s walls.

 

It stared down at him silently, and Loki glared back. It was probably one of the Breeders that was peering down on him. _They kidnapped me away… took me away from Stark and the babe, where I belong._ _They will put me to work._

 

The thought of returning back to Gythras and the loss of being miles, perhaps light years, away from Stark and the babe made his insides feel like someone was twisting them harshly. He felt it like a knife had been pushed in excruciatingly slow. The anger that roared within him blackened and soaked into his bones.

 

 _I will get out of here and kill you ALL,_ Loki thought darkly as he continued to glare back at the figure. He watched it turn away and the shadow that hovered disappear, leaving an empty space of blurred white in front him.

 

His vision somewhat impaired, Loki blinked a few times, trying to adjust it so he could get a better view of where he was. But there was nothing but continued blurriness.

 

Sound, though, was his friend. This other sense, unlike his eyesight and smell, which was also muted by the liquid, was something he could hear clearly. He could hear the electric hum of the ship and noted the alien technology, its intricate piping and driving energy force swimming actively within its confines. He reached out and let his magic resonate throughout the ship like an echo scan.

 

The ship, from what he can sense, was a cargo ship and designed only for this purpose. Around the ship, there was nothing but the cold silence of dark space.

 

He closed his eyes, focusing his senses and found a total of three living beings on this ship, two of whom had a distinct bodily feature. The third was a stranger he was not familiar with. It was a mammal of some kind, carrying five heartbeats in its chest. He sensed the created was not moving and he guessed the creature was sedated, the same way he had been unconscious moments ago. Loki pitied the creature, whoever or whatever it was, that was unfortunate enough to be on the same ship with him, heading to the same planet.

 

A sudden screech reverberated throughout the ship and then it halted. For a few seconds, there was no movement, and then Loki saw the dark figure looming over his pod again.

 

There was a penetrating, wolfish roar and almost immediately, Loki heard the five heartbeats - which had been beating rather slowly - start to drum loudly.

 

“Let. ME. GO!” A voice snarled loudly, and the voice sounded like five different variations of voices speaking all at once.

 

Loki blinked again, and this time he harnessed his energy into clearing the fog that had been put over his eyes. He tore at it mentally and the webbing finally ripped, giving way to clear vision. He opened his eyes and he saw the creature that had spoken now.

 

It was a wolf the size of a large steed and had three tails in the back and large, sharp teeth. If anything, it would have had a better advantage to overwhelm the creatures. But Loki can see that it was shackled from the neck and downwards, chains linked all the way towards its ankles, body, and tails. The magic he could sense from it was weaker than his collar, but it was still there.

 

There was a sudden push from behind him and Loki realized he was being pulled out by the very liquid that encased him. With a surprised gasp, he was pulled out of the pod and thrown onto the floor, coughing as he gagged, trying to spit out whatever liquid that might be left in his system.

 

Before he could utter a word, Loki felt a stream of chains click around his collar and hands pulling his wrists behind his back. He lashed out as desperately as he can, but the Breeders were too fast for him to resist. He caught a glimpse of the wolf creature’s eyes as he tried getting back on his feet and those golden slits him stared down at him coldly.

 

“Loki Laufeyson…” The wolf snarled and Loki heard a tone of disbelief in his voice.

 

“Who are you?”

 

“I am not telling my honorable name to a criminal such as you! You have killed innocents!”

 

Loki didn’t reply, but he didn’t have to. He turned away from the wolf and its judgmental eyes. The Breeder in front of him, tentacled and grotesque in all its form, pulled on Loki’s chain and he stumbled a little, his body still covered in the slippery liquid, making it hard for him to stand properly.

 

“Move,” the Breeder ordered and its mechanized voice was monotone.

 

 _“I’m trying…”_ Loki hissed back and this time, he was able to get on two feet instead of on his knees. He heard a growl behind him and felt a brush of wind as the wolf passed in front of him, it’s gray-white fur touching him for a moment. He felt an electric current and the trickle of energy from the binding magic that clung to the wolf’s body.

 

A curl of smoke flushed out of the ship’s entrance as the outside air blasted through, chilling Loki to the bone. Instantly, Loki heard the bustle of life and the silence was broken. He smelt ashes, which was distinct in this city. Without a doubt, Loki knew he was back on the forsaken planet where he would have to bide his time until his next trip back home to Stark… _Stark…_

 

The thought of leaving Stark alone, unprotected, fed Loki’s anger. His only solace was knowing the man was honing his magic. Stark was not completely helpless.

 

_I will come back. And this city will burn after I am done with it…_

 

The familiar colors of the Gythrean city streets greeted him, lights streaming through the blackened streets. From what Loki can see, the base of this cruel cityscape did not change since his last stay here, but he couldn’t tell since he’d always woken up in his cell. Sometimes was different this time…

 

“Follow.” The Breeders pulled at Loki’s collar and he could see from the corner of his eyes that the beast that had accompanied him in the journey was instructed to do the same. He didn’t speak, but nodded and started to walk. His bare feet trudged through the repulsive, muddied streets, tinging the white outfit he was forced to wear.

 

“Why are you a prisoner of the Breeders?”

 

Loki looked at the wolf that spoke with five voices, and he could see the creature, in spite of its disgust for him, was grudgingly curious. Or perhaps it was just trying to figure out the best way to use him, which Loki was fine with. Maybe he could use the wolf to his advantage instead and then he could rid himself of these chains…

 

“I thought you do not waste any breath on talking to _criminals_ ,” Loki countered back as the two Breeders dragged them closer to the sounds and buildings of the city. The wolf bared its teeth at him in annoyance.

 

“Stop playing your mischievous games, Asgardian. I have not heard of your misdeeds since the news of your escape was announced. What are you plotting now?”

 

“Plotting? You know nothing about me. I’m a prisoner, same as you, beast!”

 

The wolf seemed a little doubtful, much to Loki’s irritation. “A prisoner? Those chains must be false and it is all an act.”

 

Loki wanted to knock some sense into the creature. Clearly, this wolf was not as sharp as he had thought. “If they were, I would not be standing here with you.”

 

The wolf looked at Loki for a moment, and then suddenly laughed loudly. Loki winced at the sounds it made. It mingled with the sounds of shouting as they entered the epicenter of the bustling marketplace.

 

He’d never been to this part of Gythras before, and Loki did not want to step further if he had a choice. He could see small establishments offering cheap entertainment, some of which made his stomach turn. He forced himself to look for any bit of detail that might prove useful. Most of it was not - many stalls advertised sex, drugs and various other nefarious deals that could never be achieved in the public.

 

Suddenly, being dressed in white among all the darkness, he felt overly exposed, especially as he saw a few fleeting eyes catch a sight of him. Their gazes were filled with venom, while others were full of lust.

 

His eyes, however, caught sight of a hovering light that told the time and date and it read, “16:40, June 11, 2015”. After a few seconds, the light dispersed and it rolled out a message.

 

“Perhaps you are one. A prisoner. Then you must be where you belong; among thieves and murderers, rapists and vagabonds of the world.”

 

“If you want to keep your tongue, you will stop talking!” Loki snarled, barely containing his anger at the malicious words that were coming out of the wolf.

 

“Silvertongue is here!” A taunting shout hollered from somewhere in the crowd, and Loki turned to see one of the old clients laughing hysterically before disappearing as if hooting this insult was going to make any difference.

 

 _“Silvertongue…?”_ The wolf repeated the words, and then the creature’s eyes became slightly wider. “Are you a slave here?”

 

Loki didn’t answer as he walked and followed the Breeders silently. He knew he should find some words to counteract what the wolf had just said - his pride was chastising him to deny it. And yet there would be no point for him to do so. He wasn’t a prince of Asgard anymore - there was no title for him to protect and his pride will be the death of not just him, but the ones he cared for now with his life.

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Why?” The wolf pushed, and Loki felt his skin prickle.

 

“They have my child.”

 

“A child? There is someone that has actually borne you a _child_? What are they making you do? What will become of me?”

 

Loki saw something flicker above them as the Breeders halted, and he knew that the answer to the wolf’s question lay before him now. The words, “SIP”, burned brightly in a glow of luminescent green. The wolf looked up at the building as well, narrowing its eyes.

 

The Breeders stopped and Loki saw the two creatures were silently conversing with one another. After a moment, there was a tug and both the Breeders and their prisoners were pulled inside the brightly lit building.

 

As soon as they did, Loki saw a few servant creatures take the chained leads around their necks. Only of the Breeders followed them deeper into the rooms and Loki raised an eyebrow at this - what was this place? Where were they being taken?

 

“Why have you brought us here? I demand to know!” The wolf howled but was silenced shortly thereafter by a large muzzle.

 

Loki was promptly forced to do the same as his legs were knocked down and a metallic muzzle was pushed into his lips and clamped over his jaws, sealing his mouth shut.

 

They were now being laid in the middle of the large auditorium of some kind, expanse in its emptiness. The wolf and Loki were both subdued to their knees as they waited.

 

There was a clink and then Loki saw a large, fat man like shape approach them. He could see the layers of skin overlapping over and over around its body like a coating of iron before it was molded properly.

 

“Master, the delivery has arrived,” one of the servants that the chains spoke, and the wolf’s guttural snarl answered it shortly. Loki watched the overweight creature smile, and its lips opened to reveal a set of sharp teeth.

 

“Take the wolf to the mind warp. Then the slicer, as agreed. I’ll have one of its hearts for dinner tonight… As for the Asgardian, I believe we have a bit of publicity to salvage, do we not?”

 

Loki heard a snap and he saw the wolf was now being dragged away. A terrified snarl could be heard and he pitied the wolf now. He didn’t know what fate the wolf was going to be put through, but he hoped the creature will find escape somehow.

 

“Now, my lovely Breeders, I hear you’ve been wanting to make a bit of profit with this one. Is your clientele waning? Well, that’s what you get for being away a few months - the auction never sleeps. Already, I’ve heard a fair amount of good reviews for one of the new shipments that came through.”

 

 _Waning…?_ Loki thought with a shudder. What did this mean? Was he becoming… undesirable? Unattractive? And what had the despicable creature meant when by _publicity?_

 

He was not familiar with the word, and he wished he could run now. Far from here, so that he could free himself and Stark. He was not liking the sound of what this man had in mind.

 

As if the man could hear his thoughts, Loki was staring straight into its eyes now. It had three eyes and each one seemed to be looking into more than just his physical form. “I am Sepp. And I’m going to make you _irresistible._ ”

 

The doors to another room opened and Loki walked inside the white, round room and then immediately, he realized what he was walking into. He saw countless items on display, things he was becoming all too familiar with and the hatred that he kept for all creatures of Gythras and those that meant him harm burned for this vile man, Sepp.

 

“Okay, now, don’t get too _excited_ now!” Sepp spoke giddily, and he turned to look at the Breeder, who watched him silently. “And I’ll give your prize back in a few hours. The payment of the wolf has been made quite generously, so I’m going to give you a bit of a bonus when you come back for the Asgardian!”

 

“Two hours.”

 

“Aww, two? Oh… _fine!_ I’ll do what I can to give you the best first edition.”

 

Loki could hear his heart beating madly as his chains were pulled to the center of the room by the servant, where all the lights were beamed towards. He saw the Breeder exit the room and those three eyed alien look at him with hunger in its drooping eyes. Around him, he can see saucers of some kind that were placed like mirrors and he could see himself on them, the image of his tired, thin body and messy hair staring back at him.

 

“Master,” the servant bowed as he passed the chain around Loki’s neck to Sepp. The creature took it within his distorted claws, which were sharp and long.

 

“Good, good. Go set up the Visuals. And get me a Septic. We have two hours to make this - must move quickly!”

 

“Yes, master.”

 

Sepp looked down on Loki and seemingly seemed to be observing him now. Loki squirmed in the unwelcoming, hungry gaze the creature held. He knew its intent now, but he hoped that he was wrong. He wanted to be. There was nothing more humiliating than he was about to be subjected to now.

 

“Mmm… let’s see. I think we’ll first get you stripped. Need to make you as desirable as possible now, don’t we?”

 

Loki would have voiced his insults and curses fluidly, had it not been for the muzzle that silenced him. He glared and struggled, which seemed to entice Sepp. He saw one of the servants come back with some sort of needle, and he immediately fought harder.

 

_The needle will make me do his bidding willingly! I cannot, I will not—_

 

He felt a sharp stab around his neck even as his thoughts weakened.

 

_No——_

 

Loki could feel his panic start to cease and his whole body start to slacken, becoming looser. Whatever will he seemed to have was irrelevant… It was nothing.

 

_Nothing mattered now._

 

A sound echoed in his ears and Loki felt the muzzle being released.

 

He licked them, moistening his dry lips. The chains around him were also taken off, except for the collar still nestling heavily on his neck.

 

_Am I floating…? Who… Am I?_

 

“Silvertongue. Mm? Listen to me.”

 

And Loki did. He listened, waiting, for the man in front of him. He didn’t know who he was.

 

_What is Silvertongue?_

 

_Is that who I am?_

 

X

 

X

 

X

 

Sepp was happy. He always usually is. That’s what he liked about his job. He got to make himself happy and then others happy.

 

So to be standing in front of Loki Laufeyson, or shall we say ‘Silvertongue’ as he was widely known for in Gythras, was a bit of a treat.

 

The Visuals he was going to make for the Breeders was going to be a masterpiece, he will make sure of that.

 

Sepp observed the way the Asgardian swayed in his footing, the drug taking a hold of the god quickly. The Septic needle never did let him down.

 

_You’re mine for two hours._

 

He considers himself a simple creature with artistic vision. And right now, after Loki bared all of his skin and more, Sepp the Master will show the world (or rather the clients that the Breeders wanted to reach to sell Loki’s services) just what they were missing.

 

Sepp pulled off the white garments off of Loki’s body. He noticed it was covered in some sort of clear liquid. If he had time, he would have ordered his servants to clean it up, but he decided he’ll just ignore it. What was vital here was to get his work done.

 

His payment for his services would, after all, be waiting for him on a silver platter. The main heart of the Ghost Wolf was definitely going to make his night.

 

He heard a hum behind him as the large saucers were lit brightly now. The mirrors will capture Loki, a moving picture of him on his first edition booklet, and Sepp already had the name for the magazine, “Silvertongue”. The caption below would read: “The love slave everyone needs a taste of!”

 

“Kneel here,” Sepp ordered to Loki, pointing to where the light of the saucers burned most brightly. The god teetered a little but followed his instructions obediently, kneeling near the bright white light.

 

“Now bow your head - I need to make sure you can take this.”

 

Sepp took one of the large, metallic dildos in his prized collection. He’d carved it out himself and he considered it to be one of the best creations he’d made. It was as heavy as a stone and usually, the bearer of this length would have prepared themselves for the challenge.

 

The god bowed neatly, like a folding flower, as if ready to be served up for dinner. Sepp smiled - he absolutely adored the power and dominion he had over the god. The taste of it was intoxicating.

 

“Make as much noise as you please, Silvertongue. _The more the better._ ”

 

He touched the god’s cold ass cheeks, so perfect and upright. He looked down at the bare ass in amusement. He was handling the publicity of Loki Laufeyson, the power-hungry god who had it all and forsaken it all away. And now he kneeled before him, drugged, helpless and open.

 

Sepp pointed the dildo into the open entrance. He watched, unblinking, as the tip pushed in slowly. He did it on purpose, trying to pull out every bit of cries he can get from the god and to his utmost delight, he heard it.

 

“Nnngh, ahh! _Ahh!_ ”

 

Sepp heard the god’s lustful cries, and he pushed until the length was completely filled to the brim. He could feel the god trembling beneath the weight of the metallic phallus, holding onto the ground as if to look for something to grab onto but finding nothing. Sepp licked his lips in contrast, loving every moment of this.

 

There was a flash, and he saw as the lights of the saucers capture the still moment of Loki’s exquisitely, compromising figure. Sepp waited for a few shots to blink before he came back to his project.

 

 _“I will make you famous,”_ Sepp whispered into Loki’s ear, as he gently brought Loki back onto his knees. He could see the god was struggling to maintain his balance, but was following him obediently. His lips were open, eyes diluted and unfocused.

 

“As your name promises, you will swallow me, same as you did all the rest.”

 

Sepp pulled off his clothes, revealing a melted set of fat on his belly and legs. His erect cock was standing in attention, dripping with pre-cum. The fat on his body had developed over to his length as well and it was seemingly double the size of a normal creature’s. He was ever so proud of his cock. That had been the reason he took the Fat Essence in the first place - he wanted a bigger cock.

 

He guided the god’s shivering body towards his dick, and the god hovered over the length for a moment, looking seemingly confused.

 

“Lick, my dear.”

 

The god seemed to understand now and opened his lips. Sepp heard flashes and felt a surge of pride as Loki slowly swallowed the length full. It was absolutely divine.

 

Yet alas, Sepp knew he wouldn’t really be able to ride this dark-haired beauty tonight. It would breach the terms of the contract. After all, he _was_ creating publicity for the god. He’d have to pay like all the rest of them, albeit with a discount thrown in.

 

Sepp brushed Loki’s hair back fondly, wet with sweat, cherishing the warmth on his enlarged cock for a few minutes. It was comforting, to be cared for in such a fashion. Not many of his former lovers were as attentive; for that, he’d dug each of them an early grave.

 

Before he released himself from the god, he pushed a little bit inside tentatively. He heard the god groan, and Sepp almost wished he could break the contract and fill his seed inside of the god now. The wet bliss that enveloped his cock was divine and tempting.

 

Purring sadly, Sepp pulled himself out and felt the loss of warmth. He saw the trail of saliva that followed on Loki’s lips and that was definitely a sight for sore eyes. The flash of light made him happy once again.

 

Loki, having done what he was asked, knelt down as if all the strings on his body were cut loose and folded into a fetal position on the floor, breathing softly, eyes vacant. Sepp knew this was normal - most slaves with a strong will tended to lose themselves completely when administered the Septic drug.

 

But Sepp could now hear something… Some sort of humming. He didn’t recognize the song and it was starting to get on his nerves now. It was harmonious and absolutely far from the sounds he wished to bring out in Loki.

 

“Be quiet,” Sepp ordered, but Loki did not. He lay on the ground, unmoving, continuing to hum the unfamiliar song.

 

 _I’m not finished yet…_ Sepp thought with annoyance. The humming was going to be an irritation. He’ll have to cut out a few pages of the first edition if the god continued to hum during the visual shots.

 

With a growl, he abruptly pulled the dildo out of Loki’s ass and he heard a pained gasp replace Loki’s voice.

 

 _Perhaps the god is stronger than I thought,_ Sepp thought with a frown. Cleaning the metallic dildo and putting it back into its velveteen container, he got out another needle of Septic. Perhaps a larger dose of the drug was what he needed to silence that melody from Loki’s lips.

 

He walked around the god’s backside, trying to ignore the incessant tune, and carefully aligned the needle this time to go straight into the god’s butt cheeks. He wanted to hear more pain, less music.

 

Loki’s cry of agony filled the air as Sepp pushed the longer needle with the heavier dosage into skin. He watched the needle disappear inside the skin - it will soon melt and spread through the god’s veins. He could see the free-flowing tears on Loki’s face.

 

“Listen to me now. _Be quiet._ ”

 

Silence followed upon his comment and Sepp grinned widely in triumph. The dosage had worked. Loki was mine again.

 

He turned his attention back to his tools, this time grabbing a different dildo - a purple colored one that expanded when filled. He pushed them into Loki with one thrust. He heard a scream rip from those beautiful lips and he silenced them again, this time with the muzzle he had taken off of the god earlier.

 

_Flash!_

 

Sepp continued with this process, spreading Loki’s body out for display. Each time he did, he used a different toy, careful not to go too overboard but enough to make Loki the most desirable whore in Gythras. He fashioned the god as the infamous “Silvertongue”, born again to serve all creatures of lust and pleasure.

 

 _Tomorrow, I will be famous. The advertisements will be shown throughout Gythrean walls and the credit for Silvertongue’s success will be_ me. _My work!_

 

_Flash!_

 

Sepp pulled out the muzzle again, and this time he pushed in another dildo. He particularly enjoyed this one as Loki’s compliant, open lips swallowed the large phallus whole. He had, after all, created it from a live model size cock of a Frost Giant. It seemed only appropriate that the god was serving its bloodline considerably in this fashion, although perhaps it was giving them all a bit of a bad reputation.

 

_Flash!_

 

It was satisfying to see the god put through such trials without complaint. Sepp would have almost fallen in love with Loki, or rather his body if he had any chance of owning it. And to see so much of this be captured in moving visuals… The image of each of these perceptions of Loki’s submission seemed, to Sepp, give him the impression that Loki finally understands his place now in the world.

 

 _Such a shame this would only last for a few more hours before it completely wore off…_ Sepp thought with a sigh, longing for this to last. _Alas, all good things must eventually come to an end._

 

Before he finished the job, Sepp pulled out a small gem he had crafted upon hearing he had been hired to do publicity for Loki Laufeyson. It was a small butt plug; bronze in color. It held a small logo of an ’S’ engraved in the center so that if anyone saw it, they would see that this whore was special.

 

“I will miss you. I _do_ wish you the best of what Gythras will offer.”

 

He took a hold of Loki, now lying submissively on the ground awaiting further instructions, and gently pulled open Loki’s legs. The entrance seemed to invite him in and Sepp obeyed its call, using the round, pointed tip and inserting it firmly into the god’s stretched hole. He pushed it in as securely as possible, watching the muscles cling and constrict around the bronze.

 

Sepp looked at his clock, and noticed he had 30 minutes until the master of this Asgardian would come back to collect him. He wrapped his claws around the god carefully, pulling the chains back onto Loki. Once he did, he snapped his fingers and a clear crystal-like surface caged around Loki, encasing the naked god as if he were an exotic butterfly.

 

Satisfied, Sepp spoke, “Take care of this city’s needs well… Silvertongue.”

 

Reluctantly, the self-proclaimed artist left to go into his studio to start creating the publicity materials the Breeders needed to make Loki’s ranking on Gythrean auction go to the very top.

 

X

 

X

 

X

 

_Loki was floating._

 

_Or was he?_

 

_He didn’t think he was awake._

 

_He felt… loose._

 

_… Free._

 

_And…_

 

_Why did he want to sing?_

 

_What was this urge?_

 

_Yes, his mother did once._

 

_Often, actually._

 

_He thought, maybe, one day, he’ll be singing it to his young._

 

_Mmm._

 

_Young._

 

_Was he supposed to feel?_

 

_Perhaps._

 

_The cloud over him didn’t want him to worry._

 

_Yes._

 

_Don’t worry._

 

_Everything._

_is._

_Fine…_

 

_…._

 

_N-No—_

 

_NO._

 

_NO!_

 

_Everything was not FINE!_

 

_Get out! Get off!_

 

_I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!_

 

X

 

X

 

X

 

Sepp finished his first edition in time for the Breeder’s arrival. It was a pretty little thing, one he showed with passionate fervor to the Breeders who merely nodded and told him to publicize it throughout Gythras. The copies of this magazine were going to be printed and everyone with access to the black market archives would see his art and want to experience it for themselves.

 

Loki, meanwhile, was still following him without resistance. He’d painted the god’s back with the Silvertongue mark, the silver paint pouring down his perfect ass in little drips - it would be good publicity for sure, once the god left the premises. When he suggested to the Breeders that they leave Loki naked to enhance the levels of interest for the god, Sepp was delighted to note his clients were in agreed unison.

 

He watched now as the Breeders left with their possession, pulling the drugged god out of the SIP building. His mouth watered at the sight of a glint between Loki’s ass, the butt plug glittering and Sepp smiled widely with pride.

 

_Come again, Silvertongue... I'll be waiting to create our second edition._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Loki will wake up soon. 
> 
> More disturbingly... how is he going to handle Gythras after this?
> 
> PS - There's a reason this chapter exists. It'll appear a few months later on in the timeline. Bear with me!


	17. Anticipation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait... Hope it was worth it. The plot thickens...

If Loki had no obligations, he may have given up everything to wish death upon himself a long time ago. That would have been so easy… All he needed was a bit of poison or a sharp sword forged with magic and he would have been another victim of Gythras. 

 

He would have exercised this morbid thought further, had it not been for the fact that he had Stark and the babe to think about.

 

Loki found himself lying naked on the ground, unchained (which was a surprise considering he is always strung up against his will), with a terrible taste in his mouth. His body ached everywhere and a migraine assaulted him in full force as he started to pull himself up. He also noticed something uncomfortable was forced inside his entrance and he moved to pull it out, but his mind was still groggy and hazy. He stumbled, failing the first attempt.

 

Lying on the ground still, Loki forced his mind to wake up. He could feel it pushing inwards as he moved, stretching him open against his will. Loki felt his fingers curl around the intrusion and bracing himself, he pulled.

 

With a groan, Loki buckled, his feet giving way, as the object fell from his fingers with a small ‘clink’, rolling onto the floor. He saw the letter ‘S’ chiseled on the base of what he had guessed was a butt plug and he looked at it with utter disgust. It most probably meant _Silvertongue_ , the name that was forced upon on Gythras.

 

 _They must have drugged me..._ Loki thought furiously as he got to his feet, trying to brush off the filth that clung to him. His body felt as if he’d been contorted like a mannequin, and his throat was dry. He could taste sweat and he gagged at the smell that also accompanied the cell.

 

Loki anxiously glanced at the dreaded door that opened to invite the clients in, but fortunately it looked as if it would continue to stay shut.

 

_What did they drug me with…?_

_Why can I not remember anything?_

 

He didn’t remember anything about the intrusion forced into him, nor anything beyond the first image of Gythras in front of him as he stepped out of the Breeder’s ship. Beyond this memory, everything else came up blank.

No matter how hard he tried, Loki couldn’t remember.

 

He was clothed before his memory loss, but now he was naked, exposed to the elements. His throat felt raw, as if he had been screaming and his jaw ached. He could only begin to imagine what that meant. Acute shame coursed through his veins, even more so than the fact that he was stripped of all dignity.

 

Loki turned warily back at the door again, eyeing it for a while. There was still no sign of the door opening, but he couldn’t help turning towards it. His body was tense as he paced, back and forth, trying desperately to remember.

 

_Whatever had been done to me, I will find out eventually… But now, my body aches… It hurts…_

 

With a tired breath, Loki fell on the ground once more, closing his eyes. He mustered his magic towards the pain festering around his body, trying his best to cleanse the filth that might have been smeared over him.

 

As he did, Loki felt traces of the unknown hands that had touched him during his blackout. It was mainly around his jaw, his hips, calves, his back and ass. He shuddered uncontrollably and promptly opened his eyes.

 

_How long have I been out? Is Stark and the babe safe…_

 

Loki couldn’t help but think as he realized he may have been away far longer than he anticipated. To him, it had only felt like a few days. But perhaps to them it might have been days, weeks, perhaps even months after he lost his memory. The very thought of being away from them and not being able to get them out of this hellish situation ached even more than the physical pain in his body.

 

_No matter what happens to me, I must save them! And when I do, I will give them everything._

 

Loki closed his eyes again and this time, he tried to imagine a better future; the one he will create with his child and hopefully with Stark, if he will join him.

 

He could see their child in his mind’s eye. He imagined a boy (although he would just as be delighted to have a girl) resembling Stark’s eyes and lips, his small nose and high cheekbones inherited from Loki. Dressed in the best royal outfit a child could ever wear, the small child would be laughing carefree, stumbling in his steps… until his vision changes.

 

In this new scene, Loki finds himself in a Asgardian-like room, an ornate room intricately carved for royalty and sees Stark, also dressed in the highest quality outfit, smiling back at him. His eyes are warm, filled with love and Loki walks towards Stark with a smile of his own. He would kiss those tender lips softly, breathing in the distinct smell of his lover, and hear the delighted sounds of his son.

 

He’d turn and find his baby boy, now grown up a little, looking more like a 10 year old than the toddler he’d just seen in his first vision. The little boy stares back at him with a mischievous smile. Sparks of light magic would be playing over his son’s fingers and he would hear Stark calling out to their child to be careful not to poke anyone’s eye out. His son, in turn, would only laugh in response.

 

Stark would chuckle as he watches their child leave, turning his attention toward Loki. He leans upwards to reach for Loki’s lips, returning the kiss and deepening it, pulling the god down to his height —

 

— Loki reluctantly brought himself back to reality, relishing the fantasy of his desired life.

 

_If Stark decides to stay with me, I would give him everything. There would be nothing in the world more important than to see our child grow steadily._

 

 _After I destroy all of his enemies to dust, I will be free to build a life for them…_ Loki thought with determination.

 

_As the rightful king of Jotunheim, I will reclaim my position on the throne and construct a home Stark and the babe…_

 

For now, though, his hopes and dreams will have to wait.

 

Freedom will be sweet and well-earned when his collar finally breaks. With it, he will carry out the deaths of all who chose to hurt, defile, and threaten his life and the lives of his beloved child and Stark, for whom he will continue to ask for forgiveness.

 

But as of now, the one thing he could do, that he had to accomplish before being sent back, is to find out about their sole enemy. Perhaps finding out more about the ‘Client’ that had put them in this predicament will enlighten them further on how to escape it.

 

 _If they were to survive, I’ll need to find out as much as I could before finding a way to set all of us free…_ Loki thinks as he touches the carved hardness of the collar around his neck.

 

X

 

X

 

X

 

_“Fuck…!”_

 

Tony cursed softly as his eyes adjusted to find that the room, or rather his cell, was now completely empty except for him.

 

_Loki… no… he’s gone! I couldn’t stop the Breeders… again._

 

Tony cursed himself for falling asleep. _Loki’s on that planet again… because of me! Those fucking bastards!_

 

A chill passes through him, even though there was no wind to be traced, and Tony knew it was all from knowing that he, once again, had failed to protect Loki.

 

_I need this magic to work now, dammnit!_

 

With gritted teeth, Tony went to the sink to splash some cold water on his face. He needed it; his blood felt like it was boiling, anger threatening to tear away at his insides. But that wasn’t going to help Loki at all. He needed to concentrate and hone this new found ability - their lives depended on it.

 

_Only this magic is going to help us get out of here. Loki is counting on me to get this right! I need to do this as fast as I can. When he comes back, I’ll get these illusions working and then it’ll be better than fine. We’ll be out of here in no time!_

 

Tony wiped his face dry as much as he can, considering the bathroom was lacking any comfortable amenities to clean himself. He missed the small things in life that personalized his life; the goatee, his perfume and straightened out hair. But all of that seemed absolutely trivial, in comparison to his current situation now. Suddenly he felt guilty - it was like a constant heaviness dragging him down.

 

 _I’m here, safe and sound, and Loki’s out there being- No, I can’t think about that now- Can’t even begin to imagine what they might be doing to him now…_ Tony thought and the bitterness, guilt and anger culminating inside of him burned heavily inside of him. He couldn’t help but see the dark irony in this however.

 

Here he was, a prisoner on a foreign ship, raped, forced into pregnancy by a fugitive that had once wreaked major havoc on his home planet and later trapped with him for what he could only guess were months, when in reality it had been _years._ And now he’s worrying about the same god who had involuntarily inseminated an alien baby inside of him. And whats more, Loki was being fucked up on some planet because of him. Tony hadn’t even thought such a scenario could even come to exist until it actually happened to him.

 

A life on Earth seemed like a far away dream now.

 

 _Pepper… Rhodes…_ Tony thought as he was reminded of his friends. He hadn’t been thinking of them for a while now… Were they able to find out what happened to him?

 

_I always thought they’d come chasing after me, the way I would for them. Are they still looking for me? Or maybe —_

 

Tony didn’t know how to end the last thought, and it trailed off. He shook it away.

 

_Of course they’d be looking for me. There’s no doubt of that._

 

Looking down at his stomach now, which was a little rounder then the first month he’d been imprisoned in this cell, he couldn’t help but think about what the others would say if they found him in this physical state. What was he going to say to explain this situation?

 

In his mind’s eye, Tony could see the look of shock on both their faces, before giving way to disgust. They would think this was abnormal, of course… And then the whole process of explaining this would be awkward.

 

Or _worse…_ maybe they might actually think he was crazy for abandoning this thing keeping him and Loki hostage.

 

“Stop it… You’re not going to put yourself through this. _Just. focus. on. the. magic…_ ” Tony muttered to himself, trying to tear his mind away from the dreadful what if’s and maybes.

 

Tony stepped back into the cell, still feeling like shit. But at least he was somewhat clean.

 

The food was laid out on the table once more, the meat steaming and the bread warm. Without much thought, Tony took the bread, tearing it in half. The soft sinews ripped easily, and not for the first time he wondered where exactly this item had been brought from. The genuine similarity to Earth’s bread was uncanny. Did the tentacled creatures actually have access to an oven or toaster?

 

He consumed the whole thing minutes, drinking some water off the sink again before sitting on his hard bed. Good thing his body wasn’t going through the pain he’d felt in the early days.

 

“Alright, let’s do this…” Tony whispered under his breath and closed his eyes, focusing all his thoughts on making a replication of himself. He tried to accentuate on his looks now, which frankly wasn’t his best style at the moment, and then spread out his thoughts towards making a mirror around his real self.

 

As he refined the whole illusion in his mind’s eye, Tony could almost see himself standing there in front of him. But when he opened his eyes, there was nothing but empty space.

 

“Ugh…” Tony snarled in frustration.

 

_What was he doing wrong? Why wasn’t he manifesting the same powers he’d done when he healed Loki that one time? Was he missing something?_

 

He got up and started to pace like a caged animal, going back and forth around the cell. And then unable to help himself, he stepped into Loki’s side of the wall. He hadn’t even really been thinking, so lost in this thoughts, his mind and body impatient and needing more ground to walk on.

 

_The last time I’d been able to make things happen, I was under a lot of pressure. And I want… need… to get out of here more than anything. So why can’t I make it work? Useless… so useless!_

 

Tony let out an infuriated yell and then settled again in the middle of the room, crosslegged, with a deep frown on his face.

 

Closing his eyes again, this time he tried a different tactic.

 

_Maybe I need to visualize something else.. Think of something else..._

 

Tony thought of that moment when he’d seen Loki, his body burnt really badly. The god had been helpless. He had been unsure if he even wanted to help the god, especially after the rape. If anything, most people wouldn’t have blamed him if Tony had let Loki die then and there… but his conscious wouldn’t let him.

 

Tony tried bringing back that panic in his gut and he felt, for a second, as if he felt a small tickling sensation on his palm. He opened his eyes and this time, he found that they were glowing a soft white, pulsing now.

 

“Oh my- Hah! Yes!” Tony shouted in excitement, eyes widening, until he realized the creatures could most likely see it. He immediately tried to hide it by pushing his hand beneath his armpits; perhaps not the smartest move, but that was the only thing he could think of then and there.

 

Heart beating fast, Tony half-expected the creatures to burst through the door and take him then and there, but there was only silence.

 

Tony waited a little bit, and then he slowly brought his palms back out of his armpits. The light shone brighter than earlier, this time enveloping his entire hands and first upper half of his arm. It was as if he’d dipped his hands in fake sparkles. The whole thing was bizarre.

 

“ _Okay…_ I did want _something_ to work, but what am I going to do now?”

 

Instinctively, Tony neared his hands a little around his stomach, and he noticed the white light seemed to vibrate a little. He could feel a sort of magnetic pull and he let it guide over his stomach, unsure what exactly he was trying to accomplish here.

 

Suddenly his hands felt warm as soon as he placed them on his stomach. Tony felt a surge of warmth envelope his entire body, and his surroundings became pure white. Blinded, he closed his eyes for a moment and—

 

Tony opened his eyes and he wasn’t in his cell anymore.

 

And what’s more, he’s not pregnant. 

 

A sudden gust of wind and rain immediately assaulted him as Tony found himself barefoot and drenched from head to toe, surrounded by a vast array gravestones. He gasped in surprise, eyes widening. Wrapped his arms around himself, the cold sinking its claws into his bones.

 

“What the fuck… where am I? What just happened?”

 

_Earth… I’m home?_

 

The graveyard was empty, which was understandable; no one smart enough would be standing in the middle of the elements. An occasional flower was laid out on the stones, but the wind had strewn many of it away from its original destination.

 

 _Why am I here?_ Tony thought, his heart beating wildly. _Is this even real? Was he really out of the cell and back on earth?_

 

Shivering, he walked for a little bit, trying to get his bearings. He could feel the cold, the damp soil and grass beneath his feet. The air was crisp and the rain drenching him felt real. And yet… something wasn’t right.

 

“Anyone out here? Hello?” Tony called out, his voice mingling with the roar of the winds. Somehow, Tony felt as if the wind was almost pushing him from behind, urging him to continue walking. A lurking sense of trepidation creeping up on him as he did.

 

And then something caught his eyes.

 

Tony noticed a particular headstone - a tall, light-grey marble - that stood out for him. He looked down at it and wished he hadn’t.

 

On the front were a few words chiseled into the stone. Tony neared it, heart pounding close to his chest. It read:

 

**Anthony Howard Stark**

1970 - 2015

 

Iron Man.

Visionary.

Philanthropist.

Friend.

**_Taken too soon._ **

 

 _“No... this... This isn’t real… It can’t be real!”_ Tony muttered under his breath, eyes widening in disbelief. The shock made everything go numb, and he forgot how cold and wet he felt now. He couldn’t stop staring at the words and at the year it was marked as.

 

“Not real… not real… Wake up! Something’s messing with your brain! It has to be...”

 

As if on cue, he turned and found a small ball of light hovering beside him now. He jerked away from it, glaring at it but it continued to stay hovering, as if it were staring at him.

 

“What the hell! Fuck, this is all your fault isn’t it?” Tony accuses the ball of light, which doesn’t answer him. Even though he can’t see any eyes or visible features indicating it can understand him, Tony can tell that the creature in front of him understood him somehow. He guessed it was the thing that resided in his stomach now..

 

“It’s you, isn’t it? The creature that’s been giving us so much trouble!”

 

The light doesn’t respond still, but it bobs a little and then floats slowly away.

 

“No, you don’t!” Tony chases after it, following the light. As he did, he felt the rain and wind disappear, his body wasn’t cold anymore and now he was in someone’s home. He was surrounded by familiar objects; a furniture, curtains, windows - everything that signified that he was now in a house. The light he was chasing after was still an arm’s reach away.

 

“What are you doing? Are you… trying to show me something? You’ve already made me and Loki miserable. Is this your way of tormenting me?”

 

The curtains swayed softly in the wind as Tony continued to follow the light, which always manages to escape him when he tries to grab it. The room is absolutely silent, until he hears the sound of a baby.

 

It was a human baby crying, somewhere in the distance. Tony felt his skin crawl that the sound, unable to shake the unease that washes over him.

 

“You really are trying to torture me, aren’t you? What do you want! Stop fucking with my head!”

 

Tony turns away from the light with a frustrated sigh. He wanted nothing more than to run from the sound now, so sad and desperate. It was the kind of cry that would have made any human parent want to console a child, he knew. _But this wasn’t a human child he had living inside of him! It was a monster, that forced its way inside of him and terrorizing his life, making it harder for him to leave._

 

“You know Loki is being abused and raped because of you!” Tony snarls. “Your true father. Because of _you,_ we’re all trapped here.”

 

The baby’s cries suddenly stop and Tony sees the light again, this time floating around the corner leading up towards the stairs. He runs toward it, determined now to catch it in his hands. It speeds upwards and Tony climbs up the stairs.

 

He blinks and the minute he does, he finds himself in the middle of a white expanse. In front of him, Tony saw a vision of himself. It was his old self; the very one who had been experimenting with his new nanotech only hours before the Breeders had stolen him away. The light was once again nowhere to be found.

 

“The nanotech…” Tony spoke under his breath, eyes widening as his former self, got up, brushing off the small droplets of blood forming from the little holes he made to inject himself with the nanobots.

 

_I had forgotten about them… maybe there’s still a chance they’ll find me!_

 

He continued to watch as the old Tony disappeared, fading away, leaving the computers only in the middle of nothing. It continues to beep and show a sliding list of numbers and code stream downward. Tony stepped closer towards it, and with each step he took, the code started to form into a word.

 

_H e l p_

 

 _Help?_ Tony thought and he guessed it was the thing that was trying to communicate with him now.

 

“I don’t trust you.”

 

_H e l p_

 

The four letters blinked again and then the screen fades, revealing a strange background. Tony doesn’t recognize it; it looks like a snowy mountain with jagged, harsh terrain covered in ice.

 

“What are you trying to show me?”

 

He leaned closer, and as soon as he did, he was gone again.

 

And this time, Tony knew he was not on Earth.

 

X

 

X

 

X

 

 _“Three hours till Planet Gythras,”_ A pleasant simulated voice spoke over as a man sat lavishly over a large expanse of a sofa. The air was cool and the surroundings of the ship, which speeded towards one destination familiar to the figure, were painted in gold. It was almost blinding how much gold there was. The only darkness that blotted out the light was the wide window that shimmered with the ink-colored space.

 

Prince Bastien sat watching outwards towards the expanse of utter darkness in a mixture of excitement and lust. Between his spread out legs, a younger man’s head bobbed up and down rhythmically. Only a few moments ago, he had called on one of the onboard pleasure slaves to give him release while he waited for his ship to land on Gythras, the planet in which his men will also be treated to.

 

His cock was well stimulated by the servant that now licked and worshipped his prized manhood, tongue curling around his sensitive areas, desperate to please him. He did appreciate the warm lips, so young and compliant beneath him as he stroked the slave’s hair as if he were an animal he was fond of stroking. As was expected, the pleasure slave continued in his efforts to climax the Prince.

 

 _Only natural for whores to obey and submit to their masters,_ Bastien thought approvingly, although the enticement of having a servant defy their position had always been good sport among his people. He had seen many a slave master beat their servants to break their spirits until they subsequently obeyed.

 

 _That Silvertongue whore is different…_ Bastien fondly thought with a malicious smile. _The Frost Giant, for all his vile heritage and foolishness, was nothing like the usual fuck. He was much more fun than the others._

 

He heard a moan beneath him and his thoughts strayed back to the present, where his cock was closing towards a climax. At any rate, Bastien was getting rather bored of the whole process. He knew the servant was trained to make him feel wanted but it was starting to fake. The fact that the slave clung to him, begging to be fucked, had become such a norm that he wanted something… different. _Challenging._

 

With a rather disgruntled groan, Bastien quickly came inside of the servant and shoved the young man roughly aside. The servant fell to the cold floor, looking dazed and confused by the rejection. Bastien didn’t bother to speak, merely waved his hand in dismissal with a look of disdain.

 

Licking his lips, the young man spoke, “Thank you for letting me service you, my Prince.” With that said, the pleasure slave bowed low and then hurriedly left the chambers, leaving Bastien in silence.

 

Bastien didn’t think much of the servant as his mind wandered again to his experience with _Silvertongue_ , the exiled god from Asgard. He had heard of Loki Laufeyson before and of his beastly heritage. _I think they said he was once a prince himself, of the Asgardian Allfather’s no less, but then he was disgraced and fell out of favor. Sided with the Chitauri scum and lost everything. No wonder he is forced to serve out the remaining life as a slave to be used for pleasure… Perhaps that is why he is favored by the people of Gythras; they crave those that had once been untouchable._

 

Having pillaged and raped creatures from different villages and cities many times over, Bastien had his fair share of species to fuck. They all defied him in the beginning, of course, but he broke them and they all succumbed to his charms in the end. He always loved to watch them struggle and squirm underneath them as he took in their screams. The game is fun to play until they finally give up.

 

_But Silvertongue… He may be special. A creature of pleasure and defiance. He was born to be raised a royal, and now forced to win the hearts of Gythras’s populace. Such a lowly race of filth, swarming over him…_

 

 _I need to have him again!_ Bastien thinks. He could feel his blood temperature rising just thinking of the god, his heart racing with anticipation at the prospect of seeing the man again, laid out for him, naked, sweating, _vulnerable…_

 

“Book a session with _Silvertongue,_ ” Bastien ordered to the ship’s core system, and a light blinked to life on the window screen.

 

“Of course, Great Prince. As you have been summoned by your father shortly today, I have booked three days for your stay to be booked with ‘Silvertongue’, aka Loki Laufeyson, Product number # 36490, before you will be leaving Gythras.”

 

“Good…” Bastien spoke under his breath, changing out of the clothes he wore now and donning a richly decorated dark, long robe. His shoulders glowed with rubies that lined downwards. Behind his back, the insignia of his family emblem sparkled clearly.

 

 _My men will be pleased by my gift to them,_ Bastien thinks with a satisfied smile. The fight had been victorious and the rewards were well-earned. His men had conquered the kingdom of Aera, as decreed by his father, in less than a day. _The kingdom was infested with commoners who knew little more than to farm, but the spoils of our plunder will nourish my- I mean my father’s- kingdom well…_

 

His ship carried their prizes now; the people of Aera now turned into slaves, to be sold off to Gythras for a hefty price. Only a few of the useful ones were left to labor over their own homeland for the benefit of his kingdom.

 

_“You did very well, my son. Feed your men. They are the ones who will bring you victory.”_

 

It had been a while since Bastien had seen his father look so approvingly at him after he announced his victory. For the past couple of months, the only thing his father had been keen on doing had been to marry him off with some Princess so that he can fuck the girl and create an alliance with the other kingdom. The very thought of ‘marriage’ sickened him to the core - _I am better off alone!_

 

So it was a relief to see that his father thought highly of his victory in battle now. And he was going to try and keep it that way.

 

 _I will fuck who I please, when I want, without having to be tied down by marriage…_ Bastien growled, trying to shake off the annoyance.

 

“There is an additional feature of Product number # 36490, my prince, that you may wish to behold before your arrival on Gythras. Shall I open it for you?”

 

Bastien’s eyebrows rise a little, “A feature… Yes, play it.”

 

He sinks into his seat again as an image comes on in front of him and Bastien sees a top view to what he recognizes as an auction. On the top of the clip, the words read, “Gythrean Celebration Auction, Occurred 15:35. Product Number # 36490. Services up-for-sale. Limited to two recipients per session.”

 

The camera zooms in and that’s when Bastien sees Silvertongue. He looks a little different from when Bastien had last seen the feisty god; contrary to his last impression of the god, this figure that now climbed up the stone steps and up to the stage seemed to comply numbly, staggering up with a blank, far away expression on his face. Bastien noticed that Loki’ back was painted with the letter ’S’, which he guessed signified his Gythrean given name. As soon as Loki is placed on the stage, Bastien felt his mouth water at the sight of the naked god.

 

 _He must be drugged..._ Bastien notes as he sees the far away look in the god’s eyes, the slump of his shoulders and the unsteady footing he seemed to have whenever he was moved around. But the audience beneath the stage didn’t seem to notice nor care as they roared happily at the new product.

 

A creature, which Bastien guesses is the auctioneer, introduced Silvertongue as the once prominent, now fallen prince of Asgard. As soon as he finishes and starts the bid, the creatures beneath the stage clamor to get their demands and bids heard.

 

 _My, my… If you can see yourself now, Silvertongue…_ Bastien thinks with a lick of his lips. _This is unexpected._

 

He had only ever seen the defiant frost giant once, having fucked him on his first day. The resistance he had relished, and the pleasure of taking it from the god, had been so satisfying. So to see Loki now in this state, reduced to nothing more than a mere pleasure slave, seemed like such a waste of potential.

 

As Bastien continued to watch the bid climb, the numbers soaring rapidly, his body started to lean closer to get a better view of the auction. Finally, after what feels like hours, Loki’s services for the first session is sold to the lucky client of the hour.

 

Bastien feels a pang of jealousy towards the client as the camera zooms into Loki, where he is brought up to the paying customer. Loki kneels before the client absently, without protest, and Bastien can’t help but grimace in disgust at the client. He is a giant creature with a long, thin cock. It pries open Loki’s mouth easily, as if the appendage is alive of its own accord, and slithers into Loki’s throat impatiently. Loki’s kneeling body shudders under the forced entry, but does not push back.

 

He watches with utter fascination as Loki is impaled by the cock, his body shaking, as the client digs himself into the god’s mouth. The audio of the video captured the slurp of skin on skin and the occasional hoot of the audience. As the client impatiently fills up the god in rapid strokes, he also coaxes the most delicious moans from Loki.

 

 _You did not moan for me like you do now,_ Bastien thinks with a growing sense of envy. The more he sees how much Loki seems to enjoy whoring himself to this revolting client, the further Bastien’s cock started to harden. It was infuriating to see the god succumb to this creature so easily under the drug’s influence.

 

_You are mine… I will make you mine… Silvertongue… my silvertongue._

 

The spectacle lasts a while until finally the client buckles and finds his release, groaning pathetically. Loki spasms beneath the creature and then slackens, as if the energy to stand straight leaves him. Bastien continued to watch as Loki’s lips drip of blue cum, dripping from the corner. An attendant of the auction forces Loki to swallow it and when the god does, the crowd goes into a frenzy, cheering their approval.

 

_“NEXT!”_

 

Bastien watches intently at each of the sessions as Loki services the clients who paid their dues. The second client fucks disgraced god, which was once again a crowd pleaser, causing the hungry audience to cheer as Loki was pounded from behind. Bastien stroked his hard cock vigorously as the image showed Loki getting fucked by the client, listening to the unabashed screams that spilled out of Loki’s drugged lips.

 

_What a magnificent whore he is… I need him under me, screaming, squirming under my hold!_

 

He counts as many as three more that are lucky enough to win the bid before Loki’s body or the drugs that had made him so absent and compliant, causes him to fall like a doll suddenly cut off from the puppeteer’s strings. The video fades soon after, with the words “Purchase Silvertongue today. Limited sale for 3 days only!” float over the video’s ending credits.

 

Bastien gives a moan as he finishes himself off, finding his ecstasy as he spilled into his hand. The masturbation had been so much more enjoyable than the blow job he had only received from the pleasure slave a few moments ago. _Silvertongue…_

 

“If I may add further, my fine prince,” the simulated voice starts again.

 

“Mmm..? What is it?”

 

“There is a publication for _Silvertongue,_ first edition, that is now in circulation. Would you like to purchase the sleeve until your expected arrival to Gythras in two hours and thirty four minutes?”

 

“Buy it,” Bastien orders immediately, eyes widening.

 

 _Why is Silvertongue suddenly receiving so much publicity, I wonder?_ Bastien thought as he wiped himself clean. He took a sip of absinthe that was laid out for him and Bastien felt its hot fire slide soothingly down his throat, invigorating his senses.

 

He turns to the screen again, and as soon as lays eyes on the digital publication, the prince is overwhelmed by the cover image of the magazine.

 

_Such a beauty…_

 

It was a picture of Loki, naked, wrapping his mouth around an unknown man’s cock. Above his head, the painted words “Silvertongue, 1st edition” was clearly stated. The pornographic image alone implied that there were various misdeeds within its pages and Bastien couldn’t help but laugh sadistically at it.

 

He flipped through the edition; the first few chapters introduced ways on how to correctly use Loki for the client’s pleasure, mainly suggesting oral or anal sex as the best courses to choose from. The sexual aspects of it was mainly accentuates in this edition, where pictures and video of Loki’s ass, filled to the brim with a fake cock or Loki’s compliant lips, sucking on the dildos, were displayed, complete with audio. The sounds that followed each page almost made Bastien’s already spent cock stand to attention again, but he flipped through the edition quickly on purpose. The last page had a familiar list of guidelines and terms & conditions to comply to before purchasing Silvertongue.

 

“Why must you tease me so…” Bastien hissed under his breath as he nursed his beverage. The images he saw now were too much. He yearned for time to move faster now so he was setting foot on Gythrean soil.

 

 _Soon…_ Bastien thinks as he decides to bring up the footage of the auction again. _I will teach you a lesson, Silvertongue. After what I have planned, you will think twice before submitting yourself so easily to them._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe it's a good thing that Loki doesn't remember anything.
> 
> What do you guys think will happen next? Comments are always appreciated. Thanks for reading !


	18. Baby

Tony had never experienced the kind of cold that he felt now. And yet, there was a certain comfort to the chill that overtook him. It embraced him, wrapping around his body as he watched his surroundings melt away. In its place, he was standing in the middle of an icy landscape of jagged rocks and ice. His feet were barefoot now and he could feel the crunch of snow underneath but without the uncomfortable feeling of overwhelming cold.

 

 _Where am I…? Definitely not Earth…_ Tony thought as he walked through the snow. The dark night shown down on him and he caught three bright shapes above his head. It was a sight to behold. Tony took a moment to look at them; he could tell they were moons, the kind no human would ever see, probably not until they succeeded in space exploration.

 

They glowed bright white and almost seemed to stare back at Tony.

 

“Wow…” he whispered, a rush of awe overwhelming him.

 

It was a good thing those moons existed because Tony had a feeling without them, he’d be walking in total darkness. Still, the planet was dark in comparison with the night he was used to. The white expanse of the snow and ice was probably another thing why he was able to see a bit better. And he didn’t feel any heat from those moons, which was a little strange considering he wasn’t freezing to death in such a strange environment, although admittedly he probably was just dreaming all of this…

 

_It felt so real though._

 

Tony caught a small flicker of light from the corner of his eye and he turned to meet it. This time, he felt a less animosity towards the creature that he, at first, felt so much resentment towards. Of course, it wasn’t like he still didn’t trust the thing, considering the origin of its existence… but Tony put that thought aside for now.

 

“So… you’ve brought me here. Dunno why, but I’m guessing it’s got to do with Loki. Where are we going?”

 

The light floated a little bit without response before it started to wander out into the direction of the large mountains that overlooked the huge terrain. There was nothing for what seemed like miles.

 

Tony blinked for a second, and he realized he was already halfway up the hill. He actually couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of how fast he’d travelled and looked in the direction of the light, which bounced up and down as if it was enjoying Tony’s look of surprise.

 

“Gosh, well… This is better than Uber, that’s for sure,” Tony remarked, and looked down, now that he was far up and had a good view of the planet. And not for the first time, he was shocked to find an actual city. Well, maybe calling it a city was not the best way to describe it, but he was still overwhelmed by its beauty.

 

Large towers of ice and rugged stone structures formed the city and it was lit with glowing white lights. He could see living creatures walking through the paths freely, and although it wasn’t the kind of city a human being might be used to seeing, the overall concept seemed the same.

 

“Is this Loki’s… uh, home?”

 

The light didn’t really respond - it simply glowed a little brighter, and Tony assumed it was saying confirming his question. It flew downwards, and Tony had to taken the longer step down the steep hill. “Oi, you couldn’t have just brought me down to the actual city, could you?”

 

Tony didn’t expect an answer, but he was exceptionally annoyed when he was suddenly accosted by a whirl of snow and he was covered in it for a second from head to toe. The whole thing happened in mere seconds and he gasped out of the sea of snow, breaking himself out of it.

 

“HEY! You could’ve warned me!” Tony shouted at the light, which glowed a bit brightly again and came a bit closer towards Tony, who was just pulling himself out of the snow. To his surprise, Tony felt the ice melt around him and he was out of the predicament.

 

“Uh.. thanks…” Tony said, awkwardly. He looked at the thing a bit strangely now. He really wasn’t expecting it to do anything earlier.

 

For a second, the ball of light continued to stay close to him, as if waiting for Tony to find his bearings. Once Tony was standing up, it wandered away again towards the city.

 

Tony and the light followed a path down towards the city, which became bigger and felt more real the more he walked towards it. The darkness that seemed to surround the city earlier seemed almost a dream. Tony passed by large homes built of ice, which were built on top of another floor of ice. It was fascinating to see the various designs and structures that were built. The strangest thing was, Tony almost felt at home here… it was a strange sense of deja vu.

 

He saw the inhabitants of those homes now as well. The creatures looked like what Loki had turned into before; tall dark-blue figures, with large horns, claws and blood red eyes. He noticed though that the females didn’t have as much larger horns as the males. They didn’t seem to notice him walking by them, merely glancing at him for a second and then getting on with whatever they were doing.

 

Tony heard cries of children and he turned to see a group of kids laughing and racing after each other. One of them accidentally knocked into him, and he heard something he hadn’t expected at all.

 

“I’m sorry, your majesty!”

 

“What?” Tony gasped, wide-eyed, but the kid with his round, red eyes, small horns and nervous stammer ran away so fast he couldn’t get an answer.

 

He looked at the glowing orb in response, but it didn’t give him an answer.

 

“Why am I here?” Tony demanded more urgently. He passed by a fountain, which he thought at first was flowing with water, but he later realized was a different kind of liquid.

 

“That kid just called me, ‘your majesty’! I need answers, sparky! You’ve brought me this far.”

 

Tony felt another gust of wind from behind, so strong that he started to move forward. The light circled around him anxiously and Tony tried reaching out. It zipped out of his reach, glowing brighter and then rushed away. 

 

“Hey, wait!”

 

Running, Tony chased after the light, stepping out of the way of the many inhabitants of the city. They didn’t seem so bothered by his erratic behaviour, which he found a little odd. Before he knew it, Tony found himself stepping into an auditorium-like area, where a large gathering of the giants was feasting and drinking. A bright, white light that looked like fire was bursting in the middle, and it gave him the impression that they were using that light as a fireplace.

 

 _Where did it go?_ Tony thought, looking to and fro. The glowing orb had vanished. The festivities were also overwhelming - sensations he’d never felt before bombarded him. The sight, smells and sounds were all foreign and filled with joyous celebration. In the corner, Tony thought he saw a flicker amidst a group of the giants and he rushed towards it.

 

And that’s when he saw Loki.

 

From a short distance, Tony saw the god in his Jotun form. For a second, he hadn’t noticed the god. There were so many of the similar looking figures that he wasn’t able to tell them quite apart except for their body build and their genders. But now Tony saw how Loki was dressed, which was a bit different from the others. His blue skin was bare-chested but covered in fur that looked like they were taken from wild animals. Along with the horns, and towards the neckline, Loki was wearing jewels (looked like crystals, but he couldn’t quite tell from the blue, luminescent glow it gave off) that glinted in the pale light.

 

“Loki...?” Tony said with a start, as he manoeuvred his way through the delighted crowd.

 

Loki’s eyes lifted and he saw Tony. And the minute he did, Tony felt something inside of him resound, like a distinct sound rang only within his mind and he recognized the melody. He didn’t know how to describe it, but it was… comforting somehow. Tony saw Loki’s face light up with genuine joy.

 

Tony hadn’t noticed earlier, but he saw now that Loki was holding something in his arms. A little bundle wrapped in blankets, which Loki rocked a little in his left arm. The god looked up at him and smiled broadly.

 

“Come, my love. Our child misses you…” Loki spoke.

 

“I- I don’t think... No, I’ll just-“ Tony began, suddenly anxious. For one, Loki had just called him ‘my love’, which was not something he was used to. Two…

 

Well, the second part was the fact that Loki was handing them ‘their child’.

 

“It’s okay… Anthony, don’t be frightened,” Loki said reassuringly, coming closer. Tony could hear the beat of drums booming in the back, matching the racing of his own heartbeats. He hesitated, but somewhat reluctantly, he accepted the small bundle into his arms. The creature was a lot lighter than he had expected.

 

For a moment, unsure what to do, Tony froze, holding the baby rigidly. The bundle wasn’t moving either. But curiosity got the better of him. He slowly brushed the edge of the blanket aside with his free hand, so he could see the creature’s face, expecting to see… well, he wasn’t too sure what he was expecting at this point.

 

The cloth fell and Tony was looking down into the face of a human baby.

 

 _Holy shit…_ Tony felt his insides tighten at the sight of it. His knees felt weak, and his heart beat so hard he thought it was going to burst.

 

 _The baby looks so much like Loki…_ Tony thought, seeing the family resemblance. But he didn’t see any Jotun markings or little horns sticking out of the baby. On the contrary, the little one looked peaceful.

 

The baby moved a little in his arms, and Tony saw its eyes open. Brown orbs looked back up at him now, so innocent and full of life.

 

Tony stared at the small creature in his arms, not sure how to react to the way the baby was starring up at him.

 

_How could this be real? It’s not real… it’s just all in my head…_

 

And then as if to contradict him, the baby smiled up at him and then giggled, making the same kind of sound a human baby would make when it was delighted for no particular reason. It gurgled too, squirming inside of the blankets until it poked out one small hand. Tony watched in awe as the baby reached out and touched his cheek for a fraction.

 

The moment he did, Tony knew, for the first time, that he didn’t- no, _he couldn’t-_ hate the creature anymore.

 

Tears rose up and spilt down his cheeks freely as Tony held the baby in his arms a little more tightly, feeling a kinship for this little life. The hatred and disgust he had felt for the creature left him quickly. The baby tried to touch Tony’s cheek one more time, wriggling in its blankets impatiently now, laughing though in its attempt.

 

Tony felt a hand on his shoulder, soft and gentle, and he looked up to find Loki smile at him warmly. “No tears, my love. We are safe… I’ll protect you.”

 

“Loki, this isn’t real… I’m not here- _you’re not real…_ ” Tony sobbed, still feeling the overwhelming emotions that burned inside of him. The baby continued to squirm, although it managed to grab a hold of Tony’s shirt and pull at it curiously.

 

“I know… but it will be when you are free,” Loki said, and Tony felt a small kiss on his forehead. It was cool and comforting, and Tony couldn’t help but lean into that touch.

 

Tony felt the baby gently being withdrawn from his arms and saw Loki holding the baby now. He reached out, unsure where the sudden loss of warmth came from. He blinked and he realized his surroundings, including Loki, was slowly glowing brightly, the icy landscape fading away into white.

 

“No! Wait! Let me stay, just a bit more!” Tony protested, suddenly feeling the loss of the illusion. _It was so safe, far from that prison- please, don’t make me go back! Let me stay a little longer…_

 

His voice faded along with the images of the world he’d been immersed in, and his wishes echoed from a shout to a small whisper as the light engulfed him.

 

Tony closed his eyes for a fraction.

 

It was all it took to bring him back to the real world.

  

X

 

X

 

Tony opened his eyes with a gasp as if he’d been breathing underwater. He looked around frantically, grasping air and realizing he wasn’t in the icy terrain anymore. The rooms of his cell was an evident reminder of that.

 

He tasted the remnants of salty tears, quickly drying on his skin, and Tony brushed them with his sleeve. And then he brought his hand down on his medium-sized bump, where he knew that same kid he’d seen only moments ago resided. For the first time, Tony wasn’t filled with the same morbidness he felt when he looked down at his body. It was a new feeling, one he wasn’t quite used to yet, but he liked it a lot better.

 

 _Baby…_ Tony thought, rolling that word on his tongue like a foreign language. _It’s not a thing. It’s… a baby. An actual, living thing. It’s part alien… part… human._

 

Tony could still remember the smile on the baby’s face, the way the little creature tried to comfort him somehow. And the glowing orb, when the baby still didn’t have a shape to show him.

 

_You were trying to tell me something, though, weren’t you?_

 

Tony could recall the graveyard, with his name on it. A disturbing sight. And then nanobots…! That had been what had given him some hope. And last… the ice terrain. The illusion of Loki…

 

With a start, Tony traced his arm where he’d shot the nanobots and he could still feel a trace of it in his body. So… the Breeders hadn’t taken those out of him. It should’ve brought Tony relief, but he didn’t quite know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

 

 _Why didn’t they take it out?_ Tony thought, furrowing his eyebrows. _Is it for the same reason they didn’t take out my arc reactor? Did they think without the nanobots, I’d die? Or worse… are the bots not working?_

 

_There was no way of knowing though… Not without my tech. Dammnit! Another dead end._

 

Tony got up to his feet, a little slower than usual as he kept on hand on his belly. As he did, an idea struck him. Maybe… he could use his magic to find out? He hadn’t quite figured it out yet, but if he did, then wouldn’t that be possible?

 

“Help me out here, kid,” Tony called to the baby since he still didn’t really know what to call it.

 

Closing his eyes, he tried to will his magic to centre around his arm. He focused his thoughts over the small bots that he’d administered as a test into his body. For a moment, Tony didn’t feel anything. There was no spark of electricity or jolt and yet… he could sense the energy pulsing through his veins now, like an adrenaline rush. And that tingly feeling reached his left arm. Even though his eyes were closed, he could actually _see._

 

Like the train lines of a city, he could see the veins of his right arm glowing in the darkness. Tony breathed in triumphantly, the rush of it almost taking over his senses completely, but he focused onto the image now. He raised his arm closer towards his closed eyes, and that’s when he saw it. It was small, a tiny dot that blinked for a few seconds.

 

 _It’s working!_ Tony thought as excitement took hold of him. With the nanobot, he might have a chance to work on finding ways to escape. Maybe the signal it was giving out was too small and that’s why Rhodey and Pepper hadn’t been able to find him.

 

 _If I amplified it, then there’s a better chance of them finding it!_ Tony thought, and he aimed all his willpower towards enhancing the nanobots power. He felt the energy he was shooting into the bots, felt it sizzle within his skin and squirm as he felt pain. It was momentary though, and when he opened his eyes, Tony saw his left arm now bore light purple patterns that looked like circuit lines around the nanobots hidden within his skin. It was a small victory, one Tony hoped will be enough.

 

Tony walked up to the hard bed and collapsed onto it now, once again feeling the toll of the magic. It wasn’t quite as bad as last time, when he’d driven himself to maintain an illusion of himself though. It was more like he’d run a few miles with weights strapped behind him, and now he’d stopped to rest for a bit.

 

He put a hand on his stomach, and a smile caught his lips as Tony stroked his belly. Suddenly, the hope of rescue seemed closer and it was all because of this growing fetus inside of him.

 

“Thanks, kid… I think you might’ve saved our asses in here. If Rhodes and Pep find us, we’ll get out of here in no time and save Loki. We’ll actually be okay…” Tony spoke under his breath, staring up at the ceiling. It was so white and smooth it almost made him sick.

 

“And… I’m sorry. For not trusting you, and hating you for something you didn’t do…” Tony whispered this time, a little ashamed. And he was. He’d blamed the kid for being alive, for existing. It wasn’t the baby’s fault. And yet he’d continued with this vicious cycle, the same way he’d reacted to Loki for something that hadn’t been his fault…

 

 _Everything’s just fucked up…_ Tony thought with a grimace. _I don’t want this anymore. I know you want to help now, kid. You don’t want to harm me… Loki… So I need your help. Help me gain control of this magic better. And maybe we’ll both get out of this in one piece._

 

As if in response, Tony felt something inside of his belly and he shot awake in surprise. His heart raced as he touched his stomach, as if in disbelief. “Did… did you just move?”

 

There was another sensation in his stomach, and Tony knew he wasn’t imagining things.

 

“That’s… it should be impossible,” Tony breathed, unable to react properly at the strange feeling in his belly. The baby… was _moving._ He couldn’t tell if a few weeks or months had passed, but he guessed its been close to two months or so since… the incident. He probably shouldn’t be surprised, since it wasn’t overall human. But still, it was _early._

 

“Don’t do anything rash yet, kid...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter update, hope you like it. I've always wanted to write Jotun!Loki so I got my chance here, yay! I'm always happy to hear from everyone about the new chap, thank you again for reading !
> 
> PS - Also, usually babies in real life start moving 3-6 months or so. That's why Tony's a bit spooked here since the baby's not even fully formed yet (last time, it was the size of an avocado)... or so he thinks anyway.


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